Masculinity and men's health disparities : conceptual and theoretical challenges

In this chapter, we examine differing conceptual and theoretical ideas around gender and masculinities and consider how they are related (either implicitly or explicitly) to understanding men’s health practices and, specifically, men’s health disparities. In having this focus, we recognize that we are not also encompassing the important work that has been undertaken on theorizing health disparities (or health inequalities as they are often also referred to). (For an excellent overview on theorizing health inequalities, see the double special issue on this topic edited by Smith and Schrecker [2015].) In this chapter, then, we begin by briefly considering biological, sociobiological, and early psychological explanations of gender and masculinities before spending considerably more time exploring a range of nuanced sociological understandings. This latter section not only includes seminal work around hegemonic masculinities but also contemporary, “third wave” men and masculinities literature, which has not, as yet, been fully considered by researchers in the fields of men’s health or men’s health disparities. Having completed our review of this work on masculinities and men’s health, we then consider some of the conceptual thinking around intersectionality. Here, we reflect on how acknowledging mutually constituting structures of power can make possible more nuanced and multilayered insights into men’s health disparities. Throughout the chapter, we refer to empirical work when appropriate to highlight or illuminate the conceptual or theoretical ideas being discussed.