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The COVID-19 pandemic and consequent health regulations compelled office-based knowledge workers to work from home (WFH) en masse. Government and employer directives to WFH disrupted common norms of commuting to city office spaces and reshaped the geographies of office-based knowledge work, with potentially lasting implications. Pandemic-induced cohabitation of work-space and home-space saw more workers navigating the performance of paid labour in the home to produce new relational geographies of home, work, and worker. This paper provides a window on the lived experiences of the sizeable cohort of office-based knowledge workers displaced from Sydney's CBD to undertake WFH in the Illawarra region during the pandemic. We explore the unfolding pandemic geographies of work and home by drawing together feminist economic geography and geographies of home literatures. Our analysis reveals the emergent and variegated time-spaces of WFH that emerged as the rhythms and routines of WFH shaped the home and vice versa. The analysis also reveals the differentiated agency of embodied workers to orchestrate emergent configurations of WFH, shaped by gender and by the socio-materialities of home shaped by size, tenure, and life-cycle stage. We conclude by drawing out important lines of analysis for further research as "hybrid work" evidently becomes entrenched post-COVID.
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This article discusses US president, Donald J. Trump and what the author labels his "dominating masculine necropolitics". Dominating masculinity involves commanding and controlling specific interactions, and exercising power and control over people and events-"calling the shots" and "running the show". Differing from hegemonic masculinities, dominating masculinities do not necessarily legitimate a hierarchical relationship between men and women, masculinity and femininity, and among masculinities. In that sense, then, dominating masculinities are often, but not always, analytically distinct from hegemonic masculinities. Trump's specific form of dominating masculinity involved commanding and controlling specific interactions, and exercising power and control over people and events;he called the shots and ran the show, demanded strict obedience to his authority, and displayed a lack of concern for the opinions of others. Throughout Trump's presidency, this dominating masculinity centered on several critical features, which were emphasized or de-emphasized depending upon the context. The arrival and spread of Covid-19 around the world provided a new and dangerous context within which Trump's dominating masculinity has been increasingly constructed through novel necropolitical practices. Although Trump's medical experts continued to advocate for mitigation in order to minimize the spread of the virus, Trump unwaveringly stayed on message by continually downplaying the danger of the virus. Trump's dominating masculine necropolitics especially involved flouting guidelines for mask wearing. The culprit for the staggering spread of Covid-19 and premature death within the United States is Trump and his dominating masculine necropolitical discourse and practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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This article presents an introduction to the Symposium on Masculinity and COVID-19. In this symposium, the authors focus on how gender inequalities in particular have structured social life during this global pandemic. At all levels, gender is a central part of the story of COVID-19-from how people experience the disease to how national decisions have been shaped by cultures of manhood. And from the rate of disease, and how men respond to public health calls, to what homelife looks like for people during shutdown, and nationalistic political responses, masculinity has been a unique liability to the human population during this time. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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El objetivo del artículo es analizar, desde la perspectiva de género, la incidencia de la masculinidad hegemónica y los roles de género estereotipados en la armonía familiar en la Zona Metropolitana de Puebla-Tlaxcala (ZMTP), donde se reporta un incremento de violencia durante el confinamiento por Covid-19 como resultado del reparto desigual en los quehaceres domésticos y el machismo en México. Es una investigación cualitativa donde se empleó el método de encuesta telefónica y descriptivo-exploratorio. Al final del trabajo, se evidencia que las tradiciones culturales y la normalización de la dominación masculina impiden la erradicación de los abusos en el hogar.Alternate :The objective of the article is to analyze, from the gender perspective, the incidence of hegemonic masculinity and stereotyped gender roles in family harmony where it refers to an increase in violence during confinement by Covid-19 in the Metropolitan Area Puebla-Tlaxcala (ZMTP) as a result of the unequal distribution of domestic chores and sexism in Mexico. It is a qualitative investigation where the method of telephone and descriptive-exploratory survey was used. At the end of the work, it shows that cultural traditions and the normalization of male domination prevent the eradication of abuse in the home.
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PurposeThis paper aims to describe a link between and benefits of two initiatives targeted at mental health and social inclusion. One being informal, the sport of walking football;the other a formal self-help well-being group. Design/methodology/approachThis reflective commentary describes two group activities which are aimed at addressing physical and mental health challenges of older adults. These are described by the author to highlight the benefits that they provide for some of the challenges faced by men in particular in later life. Using a narrative approach to describe a synergy between the two initiatives created by the link between the activities, and the participants. FindingsThe Lawnmower Maintenance Society has proved to be a successful model for promoting and supporting the participant's mental health and well-being. As we emerge from the trauma of COVID-19 and the isolation of lockdown, such initiatives may help redress the imbalance in health which resulted. Although there are several similar groups, there seems to be a positive link between the physical and mental health benefits of using Walking Football as a shared interest of the attendees. Feedback from participants and interest from the wider community suggest the positive impact of such groups, particularly as National Health Service resources are stretched beyond capacity. Research limitations/implicationsAlthough this study reports on one new group for men, to the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first to bring together the areas of Walking Football and a men's support group. Practical implicationsThis type of support group could easily be extended if the footballing authorities wish to replicate it in other parts of the country. Social implicationsIt is well known that men are very reluctant to talk about personal problems. Other workers have also tried innovative solutions to this problem, such as Men in Sheds. This case study offers a further contribution to this area. Originality/valueThere are several academic papers, as well as information on well-being groups in both the print and social media. This commentary outlines a small, but contemporary, description of one such initiative.
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Many researchers attribute factors of identity, acculturation, sexual orientation, and substance use and other maladaptive behaviors as potential risk factors associated with increased mental illnesses reported by college students (Castillo & Schwartz, 2013;Wyatt & Oswalt, 2013). [...]the COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated mental health problems in college students (Lopez Steinmetz et al., 2021;Son et al., 2020), with 71% experiencing more stress, anxiety, problems with concentration, and worry about a loved one's health as well as their own (Son et al., 2020). Approximately 75% of first-year college students with any mental illness do not seek help (Bruffaerts et al, 2019). [...]there is a growing need to address possible factors contributing to reduced help seeking and to identify vulnerable groups in college populations (Castillo & Schwartz, 2013). Men's decreased treatment utilization may be in part due to shame, stigma, and parental and peer norms toward seeking out mental health services (Seehuus et al, 2021). Given the impact that gender-related stressors play in the rise of mental illness in college students, this study aims to bridge the gap in mental health clinicians' and researchers' understanding of how diverse gender identities influence mental health-related outcomes and mental illness. [...]this study addresses two research questions: (1) Do gender differences (i.e., between cisgender men, cisgender women, and TGNC individuals) exist among college students in the prevalence of mental illness, utilization of psychological services, and mental health-related outcomes (i.e., psychological distress, stress, resilience, overall health, and loneliness)? (2) Do mental health-related variables differentially predict mental illness diagnoses among college students? METHOD Participants and Data Collection The ACHA (2020) National College Health Assessment-Ill Fall 2020 (NCHA-III) is a survey that gathers information regarding students' health.
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Background: Black transmasculine people are disproportionately affected by a myriad of intersecting stressors including racism (specifically anti-Black racism), sexism, cissexism. Black transmasculine people are exposed daily to systemic oppression such as transphobia, dehumanization, and violence, making this community more vulnerable to mental health and physical health concerns. These experiences are further compounded by the lack of relevant literature on the unique experiences of Black transmasculine people during the COVID-19 pandemic and anti-Black racism. Aims: Utilizing a critical intersectional lens and Prilleltensky's psychopolitical validity as guiding frameworks, the present study investigates the need for support and community within the Black transmasculine community in navigating anti-Black racism during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The researchers integrated intersectionality and Prilleltensky's psychopolitical validity as frameworks paired with the constructivist grounded theory paradigm outlined by Charmaz to analyze data. The researchers co-constructed meaning from participants' perspectives, providing a theoretical understanding for exploring Black transmasculine participants' perceptions of community and support during COVID-19 (N = 32). Results: The researchers developed a model of pathways toward community and support. The model suggests two levels: (a) locating awareness of community and support, and (b) integrated action toward community and support. The approaches are integrated from within group action and actions that can be facilitated from outside the community on micro and macro sociological levels to provide holistic support and community for Black transmasculine people. Discussion: This model extends the current literature on liberation, community psychology, and community support at the intersection of transgender people of color. This intervention can provide awareness, insight, and action for working alongside the Black transmasculine community their unique needs of support and community. These findings hope to enhance clinical practices, and identify strategies to promote community, support, and wellness among Black transmasculine people. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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Empirical evidence suggests that we are witnessing a rise in the use of image and performance enhancing drugs both nationally and internationally (Sagoe et al., 2014;Mullen et al., 2020) which, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, shows little sign of halting. Set against this context, this thesis interrogates the consumption and supply of IPEDs within the post-industrial city of Stoke-on-Trent, as well as the digitised spaces of the social media sites (SNS) Facebook and Instagram. Underpinned by a twelve-month 'connective' ethnography, the work employs cutting-edge criminological theory to identify Stoke's health and fitness industry as a site of deviant leisure (Smith and Raymen, 2018). Through data precured from enactive fieldwork in two gyms, semi-structured interviews, and digital ethnographic observations, it presents a multi-faceted account of IPED consumption, taking in a psychoanalytic exploration of bodily desire, elements of instrumental and hyper-conformist use, the pleasures of lifestyle enhancement, and the role of SNS as 'dopogenic environments' (Backhouse et al., 2018).Building upon this, the thesis then offers a comprehensive account of IPED supply in the city. First identifying underground laboratories (UGLs) as the most common producers of IPEDs in the UK, the work paints a picture of the local 'partial' market (Fincoeur et al., 2015). Within this, the sanctity of bodily and cultural capital is discussed alongside the barriers that preclude external actors from accessing the supply chain. However, the research also identifies a concerted move towards commercialisation and digitisation, wherein the market now caters for less culturally embedded users and has in some respects moved online (Hall and Antonopoulos, 2016). The impact of these shifts is made clear in a discussion of the IPED market on both Facebook and Instagram.Ultimately, the research offers an original empirical and theoretical account of the image and performance enhancing drugs market. The findings bring us closer to a more theoretically nuanced account of IPED consumption, as well as building on the burgeoning body of work on the marketplace for these substances. This will be of use to academics, practitioners and policymakers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to progress toward gender equality and, instead, exacerbated existing gender inequalities across domains-from gendered divisions of labour to economic stability. In this paper we document some of the most glaring gender inequalities that have arisen in the COVID-19 pandemic and discuss how social psychological theories and research-including work on gender stereotypes and roles, responses to threat, precarious masculinity, perceptions of risk, and backlash-can help to explain the roots of these inequalities. In doing so, we use a broad definition of gender and consider relevant intersections of identity. Finally, we present three key considerations for research on gender inequalities moving forward. Namely, the need for social psychologists to (a) challenge binary conceptualizations of gender, (b) broaden the focus of research on gender inequalities, and (c) adopt an intersectional lens to address systemic inequalities in the wake of COVID-19. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Whilst loneliness and social isolation amongst older care-givers are becoming increasingly recognised, little is known about how these concepts impact on specific sub-groups of care-givers, such as older males. In the current study, we aimed to gain a better understanding of the experiences of loneliness and social isolation amongst older spousal male care-givers. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 24 participants, caring for a spouse/partner with a long-term chronic condition. After thematic analysis of the data, three themes were identified: dwindling social interactions, loneliness in the spousal relationship, and living with loneliness and social isolation. Study findings suggest that opportunities for social interactions gradually ‘dwindled' due to a reluctance by older male care-givers to leave their spouse/partner at home alone, to accept offers of help or respite, or to attend social events without their spouse/partner. Consequently, social isolation increased. Feelings of physical and emotional loneliness were evident, and the loss of spousal companionship (such as loss of conversation and shared interests) increased loneliness. Individualised coping strategies were adopted including focusing on moments of positivity, talking to others and using prescribed medication. Findings provide insight into the experience of loneliness and social isolation for many older male spousal care-givers. This may facilitate a better understanding of older male care-givers' support needs in addressing loneliness and social isolation, and should help to inform the development of targeted support services for this population.
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This article examines the ways in which educated yet unemployed young people attempt to configure ways of being productive in a small hill town in North India. Young people who do not migrate to large urban centres from this township are the subject of contradictory discourses: in some moments they are seen as an antidote to the ‘problem of migration', but in other moments they are ridiculed for not making good use of their time. Both discourses suggest a present wherein young people are not productive. Drawing on ethnographic material gathered over a ten-month period, this article frames youth sociality as a mode registering a sense of productivity and navigating unemployment. I argue that while hanging out at a computer shop, young men were distancing themselves from notions of idling and creating masculine youth cultures in which they sought to situate themselves as productive young people. I make this argument by unpacking exchanges between these young men and by analysing the tangible ways they helped the shop function. I also draw debates about youth sociality into dialogue with theoretical insights from rural geography to illuminate how educated youth attempt to imbue rural and peri-urban space with new possibilities. I show how educated youth attempt to reanimate rural space and forge affirmative rural futures by emphasizing their connections with Indian modernity. Attending to the ways in which educated yet unemployed youth attempt to situate themselves within productive relations is set to become of increasing importance given the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
ABSTRACT
"Doomsday prepping" is a phenomenon which involves preparing for feared societal collapse by stockpiling resources and readying for self-sufficiency. While doomsday prepping has traditionally been reported in the context of extremists, during the COVID-19 pandemic, excessive stockpiling leading to supply shortages has been reported globally. It is unclear what psychological or demographic factors are associated with this stockpiling. This study investigated doomsday prepping beliefs and behaviors in relation to COVID-19 proximity, demographics, coping strategies, psychopathology, intolerance of uncertainty (IU), and personality in 384 participants (249 female) in an online study. Participants completed a number of questionnaires including the Post-Apocalyptic and Doomsday Prepping Beliefs Scale and a scale designed for the current study to measure prepping in the context of COVID-19. These were analyzed using ANOVAs, correlational, and mediation analyses to examine relationships between psychometric variables and stockpiling. Prepping beliefs and behaviors were higher in males than females and positively associated with anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, IU, and traditional masculinity traits. Older age, male gender, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and traditional masculinity predicted unique variance in prepping. The relationship between gender and stockpiling was mediated by social learning (witnessing other people panic buying) and the perceived threat of COVID-19 (doomsday interpretations) while proximity and personal vulnerability to COVID-19 were non-significant. Results indicate that panic buying was influenced more by witnessing others stockpiling, personality, and catastrophic thinking rather than by proximity to danger. Education could target these factors in ongoing waves of the pandemic or future catastrophes.
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No one will dispute that the SARS-CoV-2 virus has set the stage for deeper engagements with our collective feelings about racial disparity and the natural world. The title of Bennett's book is taken from a Lucille Clifton poem in which kinship with the natural world produces black life. Rather, Bennett's analysis wants to draw attention to animal life as "a site of recognition and reckoning" (11). Beginning with Tara Betts's poem, "For Those Who Need a True Story," Bennett deftly navigates the complexity of non-human animal life and black life and the significance of the language of pests, infestation, and vermin that demonstrates the meaningful co-habitation of black human and animal life.
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The concept of happiness is consistent across cultures to a significant extent, and encompasses both internal (subjective) and external (situational) aspects. Cultural values and norms shape emotions and behavior from an early age, and hence play a key role in influencing cross-national variations in happiness. Cross-national variations in culture can thus play a key role in influencing the relationship between adverse circumstances, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and happiness. The current study examines the relationship between the six dimensions of culture, defined by Hofstede and his colleagues, and subjective ratings of happiness in 78 countries, obtained before (2017-19) and during (2020-21) the COVID-19 pandemic, based on data from the most recent World Happiness reports. The key results were: (a) countries were as likely to experience an increase as a decrease in self-reported happiness during this period; (b) distinct domains of culture were significantly correlated with happiness at each time point, though there was a certain degree of overlap; (c) pre-pandemic levels of happiness were negatively associated with changes in happiness during the pandemic; and (d) among cultural dimensions, long-term orientation was positively associated with changes in subjective happiness, while indulgence was negatively associated with this variable. Certain cultural values may play an important part in fostering a path to well-being in the face of stressful or traumatic circumstances. This path may be similar to the concept of mature happiness, derived from existential philosophy, which is characterized by achieving a balance between the positive and negative aspects of one's life.
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Using a gendered psychology of health approach, we examine the effects of the culturally idealized form of masculinity-hegemonic masculinity-for both men and women's health attitudes and behaviors. Using data collected across four studies (N = 805) during the COVID-19 pandemic, we found that stronger endorsement of hegemonic masculinity related to health attitudes antithetical to mitigation strategies (e.g. more engagement in risky behaviors, less support for federal mandates) and evaluations of how political leaders have responded to COVID-19. These effects did not differ by gender suggesting that hegemonic masculinity has implications for both men and women's health.
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Recruiting cisgender, heterosexual young men for research participation can be a difficult endeavour. This is more challenging with qualitative research studies that require substantial time commitment, or be of a sensitive nature, such as discussions of sex, intimacy, and emotion. These challenges can be amplified with the shift to online data collection procedures due to COVID-19. In this paper I reflect on the process of recruiting cisgender, heterosexual men for a qualitative study on sex and intimacy that relied solely on online advertising during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. I build on a critical men and masculinity (CMM) studies framework by considering a ‘sex-as-dirty-work' approach which centres the uncomfortable practice of talking about and researching sex. I highlight the success of this approach that counters recommended best practice in getting men to participate. I conclude with a discussion of the implications of this approach, and suggestions for researchers. [ FROM AUTHOR]
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This study examines the behaviour of men who buy prostitution sex in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic by analysing the discourse of those who participated in prostitution-related online forums during the first year of the pandemic in Spain. Applying the Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis (FCDA) methodology, this study applies the notion of "masculinity as a risk factor" to men who buy prostitution sex, as they endanger the health of prostituted women, other women and men, and their own. In addition, this article proposes a fourth dimension regarding possible negative aspects of masculinity on society and public health in the context of the pandemic. The identification of male prostitutors with a type of masculinity with overt misogynistic traits must be addressed as a problem from both an epidemiological point of view and a human rights perspective.
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BACKGROUND: Men account for three-quarters of all suicide deaths in many Western nations including Australia. Whilst extensive research has examined risk factors for suicidal ideation and behaviour in men, protective factors remain underexplored, particularly social support, resilience and coping behaviours. Such factors are important to examine particularly in the context of COVID-19, where enforced isolation (among other negative lifestyle effects) has created widespread risk for the development of suicidal ideation. This mixed-methods study aimed to examine associations of various protective factors with suicidal ideation in men, using data from an online survey conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, we aimed to qualitatively investigate men's self-reported protective strategies when experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviour. METHODS: A convenience sample of 700 men (age M = 50.3 years; SD = 15.2 years) responded to an online survey including quantitative measures of suicidal ideation, planning and attempt, alongside employment and relationship status, coping, social support, resilience, and a qualitative free-text item gauging men's self-reported protective strategies. Multinomial logistic regression was applied to compare odds of sub-categories of suicide risk (ideation; planning) according to protective factors. Qualitative responses were analysed via thematic analysis. RESULTS: Men in a relationship, and those lower in emotion-focused and avoidant coping reported lower odds of suicidal ideation. Maintaining employment throughout the pandemic was protective against suicidal ideation and planning; as was greater perceived social support from friends. Greater self-reported resilience was protective against suicidal ideation and planning. Qualitative analyses led to the development of two themes: coping and connecting, reflecting men's intra- and interpersonal management strategies; and sustaining selflessness, where men's imaginings of the collateral damage of their suicidal behaviour was protective against action on suicidal thoughts or plans. CONCLUSIONS: Findings of this study speak to the nuanced roles of interpersonal connections, resilience and coping behaviours in protecting against suicidal ideation and planning in men. In addition, qualitative insights further cement men's identification with familial protector and/or provider roles as protective against suicidal action.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Suicidal Ideation , Male , Humans , Middle Aged , Protective Factors , Pandemics , Men , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To examine the associations between gender role discrepancy (non-conformity to socially prescribed masculine gender role norms) and discrepancy stress (distress arising from this discrepancy) on COVID-19 prevention behaviors among men, and the potential moderating effects of race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and income on these relationships. DESIGN: A national online survey was conducted between May and June 2021. SETTING: The United States. SUBJECTS: 749 adult men residing in the United States. MEASURES: A scale measured gender role discrepancy and discrepancy stress. COVID-19 prevention outcomes were constructed and included self-reported vaccination status/intentions, social distancing, mask-wearing, and hand-sanitizing. ANALYSIS: Multivariate generalized linear models were performed in SPSS. RESULTS: Gender role discrepancy associated with greater odds of vaccination (AOR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.02-1.78, P = .04), while discrepancy stress associated with lower odds of vaccination (AOR = .48, 95% CI = .35-.68, P < 0. 001) and mask-wearing (AOR = .54, 95% CI = .37-.79, P = .001) for men overall. Discrepancy stress's negative effect on specific COVID-19 prevention behaviors was only apparent or was amplified for men in lower income brackets (vaccination, social distancing, mask-wearing), racial/ethnic minority men (vaccination), and sexual minority men (social distancing). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that gender role discrepancy stress negatively affects men's engagement in COVID-19 prevention, particularly for men in marginalized populations.