“The Landscape’s Changed and No One’s Giving them a New Map”: Positive Masculinity in Boys and Young Men
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Date
2025-01-01
Source Title
International Journal of Men's Social and Community Health
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University of Toronto Press Inc. (UTPress)
Melbourne Authors
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Centre for Youth Mental Health
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Melbourne School of Population and Global Health
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Melbourne School of Population and Global Health
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Journal Article
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O’gorman, K., Fisher, K., Wilson, M. J., Bonell, S., Swann, R., Oliffe, J. L., Englar-Carson, M., Chu, J. Y., Rice, S. M. & Seidler, Z. (2025). “The Landscape’s Changed and No One’s Giving them a New Map”: Positive Masculinity in Boys and Young Men. International Journal of Men S Social and Community Health, 8 (1), pp.36-49. https://doi.org/10.3138/ijmsch.2024.0007.
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Abstract
Background:
Rigid adherence to traditional masculine norms is associated with mental ill-health. Positive masculinities have been proposed as more flexible, inclusive, and authentic ways of being, whereby boys and men can embody key human strengths essential to their well-being.
Methods:
We interviewed 12 school-aged young men, 11 teachers, and 8 parents and employed thematic analysis to examine how positive masculinity is constructed within an Australian all-boys school.
Results:
Young men endorsed positive masculine traits, such as acceptance of diversity and emotional disclosure. However, as emerging norms competed with traditional ones, some young men were left without a clear idea of ‘how to be’ masculine in the current social and political climate.
Conclusions:
Results from the present study support going beyond rhetorical messaging espousing what not to do (ie, a deficit-based approach), in advance of simultaneous education regarding what to do instead (ie, a strengths-based approach) when working with young men.