Professor Brendan Gough

The relatively recent growth of identity categories for men participating in non-conventional masculine activities can be linked to contemporary consumption and lifestyle opportunities (Gill et al., 2005). While there have been various studies pertaining to media representations of ‘metrosexuality’, ‘new’ masculinities, and the marketing of health and beauty products to men, we currently know little about how men define, ascribe to and disavow contemporary identity markers such as ‘metrosexual’. The existence of on-line forums dedicated to the discussion of metrosexuality provides an obvious opportunity to examine contemporary masculinities. In this paper we report on a study of one such internet forum, using membership categorisation analysis (Sacks, 1972, 1992) to investigate the deployment of metrosexuality and related identity categories. Our analysis highlights the masculinised parameters through which metrosexuality is taken up (and rejected), which include notions of vanity, conspicuous consumption, professional status and sexual prowess. The continued influence of hegemonic forms of masculinity in this context is discussed.

Objective: In the light of the psychological literature (e.g., Bettlecheim, 1987) which indicates various contradictions surrounding the talk about and practice of the physical punishment of children (PPC), the main aim of the present study is to identify and examine the rationale(s) used by parents which bolster(s) PPC. Methodology: Data collection- semistructured interviews carried out with 10 parents (nine female, one male). Data analysis-discourse analysis (e.g., Potter and Wetherall, 1987), a form of qualitative data analysis which is sensitive to the range and complexity of accounts (or discourses) presented by participants. Hence, we explore the various (often conflicting) discourses deployed by parents while talking about PPC, an approach which has not been used before in the study of parental discipline. Results: Various oppositional discourses were used by the parents, each of which implies diverse justifications and consequences. Four in particular were identified-PPC as (1) pedagogic (educational); (2) cathartic (need relief); (3) individualistic (power assertion); (4) cyclical (reproduction)-and for instances of contradiction explicated with reference to the particular discursive context. Conclusion: Much confusion and complexity regarding PPC is evident from parental talk, which is marked by discursive variation and contradiction. These discursive collisions notwithstanding, the participant's discourse generally implies the oppressive positioning of children and, consequently, offers support for physical punishment. The study also highlights the utility of discourse analysis as a method for interrogating PPC-and indeed other phenomena related to child abuse and neglect.

In this paper we reflect on current trends and anticipate future prospects regarding qualitative research in Psychology. We highlight various institutional and disciplinary obstacles to qualitative research diversity, complexity and quality. At the same time, we note some causes for optimism, including publication breakthroughs and vitality within the field. The paper is structured into three main sections which consider: 1) the positioning of qualitative research within Psychology; 2) celebrating the different kinds of knowledge produced by qualitative research; and 3) implementing high quality qualitative research. In general we accentuate the positive, recognising and illustrating innovative qualitative research practices which generate new insights and propel the field forward. We conclude by emphasising the importance of research training: for qualitative research to flourish within Psychology (and beyond), students and early career researchers require more sophisticated, in-depth instruction than is currently offered.

© 2019, © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Objective: Obesity rates are increasing faster in men than in women, with particular concerns raised regarding older men. However, men are less likely than women to engage in weight-loss activities such as dieting, typically constructed as a feminine practice. Previous research has argued that men’s food consumption is notably different and unhealthier than women’s. The novel contribution of this article is an analysis of food assessments in order to explore how older men (mostly) undergoing weight management programmes make sense of changes in their nutritional intake. Design: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 men who were obese, 27 of whom were engaged in weight loss programmes. Discursive psychology was employed to analyse the data. Results: In contrast to other research, participants constructed nutritional advice as enlightening. Participants worked up ‘ownership’ and pleasure assessments to certain food choices which they contrasted with new, less calorific, eating practices. Moreover, new diets were constructed as acceptable. Conclusion: Our study contributes new insights about how nutritional advice impacts upon preconceived (mis)understandings of healthy eating practices. During the interviews, men positioned themselves as educators–health promoters might usefully develop nutritional advice in collaboration with men who have successfully changed their diets for optimum effect.

Today's men are less limited than previous generations and do things their fathers would have eschewed, including spending lots of time and money on 'grooming' products and services (moisturiser, body hair removal, even make-up). Our research with 'metrosexual men' and men on weight loss programmes shows that (heterosexual) men are indeed interested in their appearance, but also that appearance-related practices are glossed in conventionally masculine terms. While men do enact a greater range of attributes and activities than before, belying any notion of a 'crisis' in masculinity, we highlight the continued operation of orthodox masculinities which may work to marginalise other men and women.

Public reactions to internet child offending remain ambivalent in that, while there is vocal condemnation of contact child sex offending, there is less indignation about internet child abuse. This is potentially due to a lack of recognition of this type of offence as sexual offending per se. This ambiguity is reflected by internet sex offenders themselves in their verbalizations of their offending. This article presents a qualitative analysis of the accounts offered by seven individuals convicted of internet-based sexual offences involving the downloading and viewing of images of children. In particular, this article presents an analysis of the explanations of offenders for the commencement of internet activity and the progression to more illicit online materials. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using discursive methods, paying close attention to language use and function. The analysis documented the practices that internet child abusers employed in order to manage their identities, distance themselves from the label of sex offender, and/or reduce their personal agency and accountability. Implications of this analysis are discussed with reference to the current minimization of the downloading of sexually explicit images of children as a sexual crime per se by the public and offenders alike and the risk assessment and treatment of individuals convicted of these offences.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate how young men and women smokers and non-smokers talk about the impact of smoking on appearance, with the aim of using these accounts to inform anti-smoking campaigns targeted at young people. DESIGN: Volunteer smokers and non-smokers took part in 24 focus groups. METHOD: Eighty-seven men and women aged 17-24 were asked to talk about impacts of smoking on appearance. RESULTS: A thematic analysis of transcripts suggested that weight gain after quitting was only a significant concern for the younger (17-year-old) women. Non-smokers of both genders expressed concern about yellowing of skin and teeth if they started smoking, and women non-smokers were concerned about skin ageing. Smokers believed that smoking made them look 'cool', mature, and sophisticated and would quit only if skin ageing and other negative effects on appearance became visible. CONCLUSIONS: Appearance concerns are relevant to the decision whether to start and quit smoking, and are linked to gender and age. Results are discussed in relation to implications for the development of age- and gender-relevant anti-smoking interventions.

This longitudinal study investigated differences in beliefs and perceived behavioural control between smokers and non-smokers in a large sample of adolescents. Positive and negative instrumental beliefs, normative beliefs, perceived behavioural control (PBC) and smoking status were assessed in the same participants at 11, 13 and 15 years of age. Prospective analyses among non-smokers revealed that for boys, negative instrumental beliefs in non-smokers at age 11 predicted smoking at age 15 years. For girls, normative beliefs and PBC in non-smokers at age 11 predicted smoking status at age 13; normative beliefs at age 11 predicted smoking at age 15; and positive instrumental beliefs and normative beliefs at age 13 predicted smoking status at age 15. Cross-sectional data revealed that smokers were significantly more likely than non-smokers to endorse positive instrumental beliefs, less likely to agree with negative instrumental belief items, more likely than non-smokers to perceive social pressure to smoke, and less likely to report control over smoking, and that female smokers reported less control over smoking and fewer negative instrumental beliefs than all other groups including male smokers at age 13. The need for belief-based preventative interventions that are age- and gender-relevant is discussed.

The emergence of discourse around men's health has been evident now for at least 10 years across academic, policy and media texts. However, recent research has begun to question some of the assumptions presented concerning masculinity and men's health, particularly within popular media representations. The present paper builds on previous research by interrogating the construction of men's health presented in a recent special feature of a UK national newspaper (The Observer, November 27, 2005). The dataset was subjected to intensive scrutiny using techniques from discourse analysis. Several inter-related discursive patterns were identified which drew upon essentialist notions of masculinity, unquestioned differences between men and women, and constructions of men as naïve, passive and in need of dedicated help. The implications of such representations for health promotion are discussed. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

This chapter introduces readers to the wide-ranging field of critical social psychology. Key cross-cutting themes and debates are highlighted, and the structure of the handbook is described. Diverse theories and methodologies are referenced, and the respecification of psychological/cognitive concepts is summarised. The spectrum of social psychological topics covered in the handbook is cited, including social categories such as gender, race and disability, and group-related topics such as prejudice, social influence and altruism. The deployment of critical social psychological theories and methods to applied domains such as health, education and work is then promoted.

The literature on coming out typically concerns experiences with family and friends, but apart from a few (auto)biographies by elite gay athletes, there is very little published on how gay athletes come out to their sporting peers. Since most sports are infused with ideals and practices associated with hegemonic masculinity and heterosexuality, coming out is likely to present some unique challenges for gay athletes. This paper reports on a preliminary study based on an analysis of online accounts (N = 8) provided by North American gay athletes for a web-based newsletter. Techniques from qualitative research methods, popular with and informed by various feminist, critical, and lesbian and gay psychologists in the UK, are used to make sense of these accounts. A clear pattern emerged across all accounts, incorporating the following key themes: (1) Sport as distraction from sexuality; (2) Invisibility and isolation within sport; (3) Coming out to the team: difficult but rewarding; and (4) Becoming politicised: challenging heterosexism within sport. Discussion centres on the challenges and opportunities facing gay men within sporting contexts and the implications of the analysis for possible psychological interventions with gay athletes. The need for further qualitative research in this area is also underlined. © 2007 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

Clear role definition is essential for directing the focus of nurse education and several studies have attempted to define the role of the mental health nurse (MHN). These, however, came to the conclusion that mental health nursing was difficult to articulate. The aim of this study was to understand how, during their transition to first level registration, mental health student nurses (MHSNs) perceived the role of the MHN. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 14 MHSNs during the last 6 months of their transition to MHN. Transcripts were analysed using a qualitative approach based on grounded theory. Six key themes were identified, five of which were defined mental health nursing roles. The sixth theme related to non‐therapeutic intervention on the part of some MHNs. Several areas of concern were identified. First, MHSNs expected to conduct more psychologically based interventions than were achievable in practice. Second, emphasis on drug administration can lead to a conflict of interest in the nurses’ advocacy role with patients. Third, MHSNs sometimes observed poor role models in their placements, which could have a negative impact on the way in which future MHNs view the role of the MHN.

Synthol is an injectable oil used by bodybuilders to make muscles appear bigger. Widely available on the Internet, it is reported to carry a wide range of health risks and side effects such as localized skin problems, nerve damage and oil filled cysts, as well as muscle damage and the development of scar tissue. Given the tension between health risk and quick muscle enlargement, how lay users explain and justify their synthol intake becomes an important question. Drawing on discourse analysis, we focus on how lay expertise is worked up by users in the absence of available specialist knowledge by invoking medical and pharmaceutical discourses as legitimation, providing novices with support, gaining trust through positive personal narratives and thus gaining credibility as experts. Results have clear implications for health promotion interventions with bodybuilders.

BACKGROUND: This paper reports on a qualitative study which formed part of the intervention development phase of a five year research programme (Community pharmacy: Highlighting Alcohol use in Medication aPpointments; CHAMP-1). OBJECTIVES: To better understand patient views on the appropriateness of alcohol as a subject for discussion in medication reviews in community pharmacy. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 25 people eligible for medication reviews whose AUDIT-C screening scores identified them as likely risky drinkers. Transcripts were analysed using a modified framework method with a constructionist thematic analysis approach. RESULTS: Most patients interviewed said they were open to the idea of a medication and alcohol linked discussion with a pharmacist if this was routine, well-conducted and confidential. Such a discussion was thought less personally relevant for those who viewed the proposed intervention through the prism of a particular set of ideas about the nature of alcohol problems, which distanced them from thinking about alcohol in terms of their everyday life and possible impacts on their health. Study findings attest to some of the sensitivities involved in discussion of alcohol, and the complexities inherent in helping people to talk about their own drinking, medicine use and health. CONCLUSIONS: Patients were open to the idea of discussing alcohol with community pharmacists in the context of a medicines review if this was sensitively done and the relevance was clear to them.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol interventions are important to the developing public health role of community pharmacies. The Medicines and Alcohol Consultation (MAC) is a new intervention, co-produced with community pharmacists (CPs) and patients, which involves a CP practice development programme designed to integrate discussion of alcohol within existing NHS medicine review services. We conducted a pilot trial of the MAC and its delivery to investigate all study procedures to inform progression to a definitive trial. METHODS: This cluster pilot RCT was conducted in 10 community pharmacies in Yorkshire, UK, with a CP from each who regularly conducted Medicine Use Review (MUR) and New Medicine Service (NMS) consultations. Randomisation was conducted using a secure remote randomisation service. Intervention CPs (n = 5) were trained to deliver the MAC in MUR/NMS consultations. Control CPs (n = 5) provided these services as usual. Consecutive MUR/NMS patients were asked by CPs to participate, screened for eligibility (consumption of alcohol at least twice per week), and baseline data collected for those eligible. A two-month follow-up telephone interview was conducted. Blinding of CPs was not possible, but patients were blinded to the alcohol focus of the trial. Primary outcomes were total weekly UK units (8 g of ethanol per unit) of alcohol consumption in the week prior to follow-up, and confidence in medications management. Trial procedures were assessed by recruitment, attrition, and follow-up rates. RESULTS: 260 patients were approached by CPs to take part in the trial, 68% (n = 178) were assessed for eligibility and 30% (n = 54) of these patients were eligible. Almost all eligible patients (n = 51; 94%) consented to participate, of whom 92% (n = 47) were followed-up at 2 months; alcohol consumption was lower in the intervention arm and confidence in medication management reduced slightly for both groups. Exploration of recall issues at follow-up showed a high level of agreement between a two-item quantity/frequency measure and 7-day guided recall of alcohol consumption. CONCLUSIONS: The pilot trial demonstrates the feasibility of implementing the MAC in community pharmacy and trial recruitment and data collection procedures. However, decommissioning of MURs means that it is not possible to conduct a definitive trial of the intervention in this service. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN57447996.

Declining global male fertility rates has generated increased attention on male fertility in recent years. Simultaneously, individualised responsibility for health has been growing. Fertility and lifestyle have therefore become seemingly intertwined. Esmée Sinéad Hanna and Brendan Gough examine men's experiences of fertility and lifestyle practices, exploring personal experiences of the role of lifestyle in the quest for conception as well as the broader promotion of 'lifestyle' within both clinical and online material as a key aspect for 'improving' male fertility. Through the exploration of male fertility and lifestyle factors and their modification we examine the growth of healthism around infertility, the role of neoliberalism within this and how this intersects with masculinity. Using a new notion of liquid masculinity, we explore the fluid nature of societal and personal perspectives on the male infertility experience. In doing so we offer new insights into the now accepted idea that 'sperm' is malleable and that fertility controllable through personal choices, despite their being limited scientific evidence for such claims.

This article uses discursive approaches to examine the utility and functions of language in public health, focusing on social constructions of e-cigarettes. Due to the ambiguity surrounding the use of e-cigarettes, understanding may be negotiated collaboratively through co-construction in talk. Ten participants, three men and seven women aged 26–47 years, took part in two focus groups in Manchester, UK, where they discussed e-cigarettes. Data were analysed using blended discourse analysis, with a view to identifying dominant repertoires used by speakers. Participants drew from two discursive frameworks to communicate perceptions of e-cigarettes: (1) uncertainty and risk and (2) the social acceptability and stigma spectrum. The ambiguity surrounding e-cigarettes was reflected in the linguistic devices used in talk. This article demonstrates the value of drawing on discourse analysis to better understand the impact of health-related communication by providing insight into how existing messages are interpreted, co-constructed, and assigned meaning through shared interactions.

In this article I reflect on – and celebrate - the increasing eclecticism and creativity within Qualitative Psychology. Diverse forms of hybrid qualitative research, knowledge production and dissemination are referenced, including performative, fictional and digital iterations, and the potential for participant-centred, co-produced, democratic practices is promoted. The challenges posed by ‘post-qualitative’ thinkers are also touched on, reinforcing the importance of ‘conceptual experimentation’ as well as researcher humility. My reflections are realised via an imagined research project involving my father, where multiple methods and possibilities are conveyed while experimenting with textual and reflexive interjections. The final section positions Qualitative Psychology as responsive to social issues, including the Covid-19 pandemic and male mental health, and points to intersectionality, interdisciplinarity and impact as key drivers for change in qualitative research and, potentially, the discipline of Psychology.

In order to effectively evaluate complex interventions, there have been calls for the further integration of qualitative methods. Qualitative process studies of brief alcohol interventions and medicines reviews are notably lacking. This article provides a grounded example through the presentation of findings from an embedded qualitative process evaluation of a multi-site, pilot cluster RCT of a new intervention: the Medicines and Alcohol Consultation (MAC). MAC is designed to increase the capacity of community pharmacists (CPs) to conduct person-centred medicines reviews in which the subject of alcohol consumption is raised in connection with medications and associated health conditions. Participant-focused qualitative studies (interviews, observations, recorded consultations) sought to understand how CPs engaged with and implemented MAC in context. This article documents effects of the intervention on developing person-centred consultation practice and highlights how qualitative process studies can be used formatively to develop middle range programme theory and to optimise intervention design for testing in a definitive RCT.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol is challenging to discuss, and patients may be reluctant to disclose drinking partly because of concern about being judged. This report presents an overview of the development of a medications review intervention co-produced with the pharmacy profession and with patients, which breaks new ground by seeking to give appropriate attention to alcohol within these consultations. METHODS: This intervention was developed in a series of stages and refined through conceptual discussion, literature review, observational and interview studies, and consultations with advisory groups. In this study we reflect on this process, paying particular attention to the methods used, where lessons may inform innovations in other complex clinical consultations. RESULTS: Early work with patients and pharmacists infused the entire process with a heightened sense of the complexity of consultations in everyday practice, prompting careful deliberation on the implications for intervention development. This required the research team to be highly responsive to both co-production inputs and data gathered in formally conducted studies, and to be committed to working through the implications for intervention design. The intervention thus evolved significantly over time, with the greatest transformations resulting from patient and pharmacist co-design workshops in the second stage of the process, where pharmacists elaborated on the nature of the need for training in particular. The original research plans provided a helpful structure, and unanticipated issues for investigation emerged throughout the process. This underscored the need to engage dynamically with changing contexts and contents and to avoid rigid adherence to any early prescribed plan. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol interventions are complex and require careful developmental research. This can be a messy enterprise, which can nonetheless shed new insights into the challenges involved in optimising interventions, and how to meet them, if embraced with an attitude of openness to learning. We found that exposing our own research plans to scrutiny resulted in changes to the intervention design that gained the confidence of different stakeholders. Our understanding of the methods used, and their consequences, may be bounded by the person-centred nature of this particular intervention.

Relational aspects of infertility are understandably often viewed through a dyadic lens, which has typically prioritised women's experiences of infertility, thereby simultaneously burdening women and marginalising men's accounts from understandings of reproduction. Men's infertility experiences in relation to the role and impact on other relationships have yet to be examined in detail. This article considers data from a sample of 41 men who completed a qualitative questionnaire about their experiences of infertility. Our thematic analysis of relationship-relevant responses generated two key themes: Disruption of temporal horizons; and friends and family members as 'outsiders'. Our analysis develops insights into the emotional labour involved in managing relationships with friends and family members in the challenging context of infertility and highlights the problems associated with 'support' offered by significant others. The value of understanding infertility as a relational phenomenon that is shaped and constrained by close relationships and wider social norms is elaborated, with the implications for healthcare practice also discussed.

Objective. This study was designed to investigate UK smokers' accounts of impacts of COVID-19 on their smoking, to develop implications for supporting smoking cessation. Design. One hundred and thirty-two smokers aged 19-52 years (mean age 25 years), recruited through an advert distributed through social media and a dedicated Twitter page, completed an anonymous online questionnaire. Main Outcome Measures. Smokers produced written accounts of how COVID-19 had impacted their smoking. Responses were of unlimited length and completed online 22nd May-22nd June 2020 during UK COVID-19 lockdown. Results. Inductive thematic analysis generated three themes: i) increased smoking as a coping mechanism to deal with anxiety, boredom, stress, and anger in COVID-19 lockdown; ii) lockdown as enabling quitting through lifting social barriers and enabling a focus on health benefits; and iii) no change, avoiding Government/media COVID-19 information due to disbelief, lack of trust, and perceptions of bias. Conclusions. Results demonstrate a need for credible public health messaging on COVID-19 risk aimed at smokers. Implications for supporting smoking cessation are discussed, including maintaining quitting in those "social smokers" who quit during lockdown, and support on stress-management and emotion regulation in those who use smoking as a way to cope with stress, anger, and boredom.

Community pharmacy faces ongoing challenges to its economic and social standing. A concern to legitimate professional status explains the attraction of public health. Interventions currently advocated by UK State-sponsored health care seek to reconcile the autonomous 'entrepreneurial' patient with market-driven solutions. Engaging critically with recent Foucauldian sociological work on pharmacy as a conduit for disciplinary power, we explore how professional ambiguity is exploited to 'manage' the subjectivities of community pharmacists. Locating our discussion in the observed empirical realities of pharmacy practice (the inclusion of alcohol and other 'healthy living' advice in the Medicines Use Review), we connect unresolved historical debates in community pharmacy with current ongoing (neoliberal) changes in policy and pharmacy business practices, drawing attention to the poor evidence base underpinning healthy living activities in community pharmacy. Our findings show how community pharmacists struggle to provide meaningful advice, valued by patients. Instead of enhancing professional status, 'add-on' public health roles created the risk of offering little more than an essentialised enactment of consumerist health care. Understanding how patients conceptualise drinking and 'healthy living' in relation to their long-term health, using more open discussions, including the negotiation (rather than provision) of information, could help community pharmacists challenge the current professional vulnerabilities they face.

Abstract

In this article, we explore how ten men who took part in naked photoshoots for charitable purposes make sense of their embodiment as men. Through semi-structured interviews, we look at how participation in such a novel experience of nudity with other men underpins transformations of masculine conventions as well as some of the tensions present in these men's accounts of the events. We highlight three significant discourses that exemplify these patterns: Nudity as Enabler of Intimacy; Surveillance and Insecurities; Producing the Natural Body. Our findings showcase the important ways that men can and do engage critically with masculinity while at the same time exploring some of the ambivalent ways that these challenges can manifest.

We know that twice as many women are diagnosed with depression as men, and that ‘masculinity’ issues can inhibit men from conceding psychological distress. However, research to date has been limited to studies of men diagnosed or assessed as depressed, and analyst-driven masculinity concepts have arguably structured the data analysis. One way around these issues is to study how men construct depression themselves – without the influence of a researcher – and how they support other men to manage their depression. This paper reports on a qualitative constructionist thematic analysis of mens’ talk on an online support forum, and focuses on how men work up a credible account of depression (first posts) - and how peers respond to different accounts of depression (response posts). Our analysis indicates that although medical discourse (e.g. diagnosis) is referenced as essential for validation of depression accounts, those men without a diagnosis may still receive support if their account is designed in particular ways (e.g. is detailed, cites extenuating circumstances, positions the individual as proactive). More generally, the analysis highlights the delicate and complex discursive work involved in depression accounts, and we reflect on how issues of accountability and authenticity may be mitigated in mental health service provision for men.

This innovative edited collection brings together leading international academics to explore the use of various non-prescription and prescription substances for the purpose of perceived body image enhancement. While studies on drug misuse to date have examined drug use in the context of sporting performance, addiction, and body image for particular groups such as bodybuilders, there has been little research that explores the wider use (and misuse) of legal and illegal drugs for body image development and weight loss. With medical sociology and social psychology at its core, this important volume shows the complex reasons behind the misuse of various medications, how these are connected to contemporary body image and appearance concerns, and why the known health risks and possibly harmful side effects do not act as deterrents.

The current preoccupation with health problems associated with overweight and obesity has produced a demonisation of larger people, but there is a growing resistance to our anti-obesity culture by various groups who celebrate larger bodies. One community where bulk is positively embraced is the gay "bear" subculture wherein physically big (and hairy) gay men are privileged as sexually attractive. The present study is based on interviews with 10 gay "bears" and covers issues pertaining to identification with large bodies, masculinity and orientation to obesity-related health problems. Key focus is on the how "excess" weight is justified and normalised against the backdrop of the obesity "crisis." The implications for health promotion within the "bear" community are then discussed. © 2009 by the Men's Studies Press, LLC. All rights reserved.

I want to make a case, following some recent social psychological thinking (Georgaca; Frosh et al.; Hollway and Jefferson), for using psychoanalytic concepts to inform qualitative interviewing and (particularly) the analysis of interview data. More specifically, I wish to advocate the use of both discursive and psychoanalytic perspectives in facilitating qualitative data analysis: the deployment of psychoanalytic concepts directs us to interviewee biographies and subjectivity, complementing the discursive emphasis on the language use and function during interviews. To illustrate the benefits of this ‘psychodiscursive’ approach, I draw upon interview data on a father-son relationship, derived from a wider ESRC-sponsored Node project on family resemblances, to trace defensive as well as discursive patterns in the interview data. I will be arguing that both discursive and psychoanalytic frameworks can offer valuable, and not necessarily incompatible, levels of interpretation, while either perspective presented in isolation will lead to an impoverished analysis.

Who is the academic who reflects upon the self who has undertaken the research and written the manuscript? The 'reflexive turn' that has become more prevalent in the social sciences calls for us to account for ourselves by pursuing answers to this question, even though it is impossible to ever fully know the self. In this paper we turn upon our academic profession theoretical perspectives that we, as critical accounting and management researchers, customarily use when trying to understand other employees in other workplaces. We begin with theories of the self, then draw on queer theory and, finally, the exploration of means of control over staff. Our paper is somewhat disquieting, for this analysis suggests that we, academics working in departments of accountancy, human resource management, marketing or whatever sub-discipline we may choose to explore, are susceptible to control and exploitation through the norm of the ideal academic, a normative self we strive to achieve but which remains, for the vast majority of us, always out of reach. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd The impact of infertility on the emotional, social and relational aspects of men's lives is now more widely understood. Yet the impact of infertility on men's working lives and financial status remains largely overlooked. Drawing on a qualitative questionnaire study into men's experiences of infertility (n = 41), this article examines how work and finances are managed and negotiated during infertility, including treatment cycles. Three key themes were identified from our thematic analysis: managing infertility in the workplace; compromised job performance, (in)security and progression; the financial burden of infertility, suggesting that infertility can have significant implications for men's working lives, including their identities as productive workers. The impact had a gendered dimension, with threats to masculine-relevant breadwinner roles and career ambitions. Awareness and management of infertility as a chronic health condition could be a useful way for employers to support disclosure of infertility and to allow men to navigate infertility and their working lives and identities in less stress-inducing ways. This article contributes to our growing understanding of the stigma men experience in relation to infertility and how such stigma may intersect with masculinity in general and breadwinning in particular.

Aim: This study was designed to investigate the link between appearance concerns and smoking in young men and women. Methods: A total of 244, 17-34-year-olds completed the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire Appearance Sub-Scales (MBSRQ-AS). Findings: Smokers scored significantly lower than non-smokers on appearance evaluation and appearance evaluation predicted smoking status in both men and women. Overweight preoccupation, self-classified weight and appearance orientation did not predict smoking status for either gender. Conclusions: It is concluded that smoking cessation interventions need to target general concerns about appearance in addition to concerns over weight control, and that campaigns focused around appearance concerns need to be targeted towards men as well as women. © 2010 Informa UK Ltd All rights reserved: reproduction in whole or part not permitted.

Although recent research has highlighted the distressing impact of infertility for men, fertility issues are still routinely seen as a 'women's issue' - even when male factor infertility is highlighted. This article reports findings from a qualitative questionnaire study focusing on a sample of men with a male factor infertility diagnosis; an under-researched and marginalised group in the context of reproductive medicine. Our analysis suggests that male factor infertility is viewed by men as a failure of masculinity, as stigmatising and silencing, and as an isolating and traumatic experience. It is also clear that these themes are shaped by wider societal discourses which present men as (unproblematically) fertile, uninvested in parenthood and stoic in their approach to emotional distress. Such norms also ensure that reproduction continues to be presented as a 'women's issue' which burdens women and marginalises men. In understanding male factor infertility experiences, the damaging nature of the social construction of male fertility is then more clearly illuminated.

There is an ongoing public debate about internet sex offenders: do they progress to contact offences, or are their deviant interests sufficiently satisfied through downloading indecent images of children? Also, do such individuals accept that they create victims in the absence of direct physical contact with children? This paper presents an analysis of the accounts offered by individuals convicted of internet-based sexual offences involving the downloading and viewing of images of children (n=7). The data were collected through semi-structured interviews, and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA); a number of themes were generated from the rich data set produced. Here we focus upon the dominant theme of "self-distancing" wherein interviewees variously and often creatively rejected the view that they were creating child victims, actively disidentified from the sex offender label and generally downplayed their accountability relating to their offending activities. Findings are discussed in relation to policy implications and treatment. © 2010 National Organisation for the Treatment of Abusers.

Alcohol consumption has been linked to a wide range of social and health problems, and it is known that drinking among older age groups has been increasing. Relatively little qualitative research has examined how older drinkers make sense of their drinking practices, including how they seek to normalise their consumption when talking about it. This paper reports on a qualitative interview study with older drinkers (n = 25; aged 41-89), focusing on the various discursive strategies they use to rationalise their drinking. Discursive analysis of the interview transcripts highlights four key approaches used: strategic vagueness; reinforcing responsible restraint; self-serving comparisons; and downplaying drinking as mundane practice. Taken together, the efforts made to convey drinking in moderation suggest a concern among interviewees with being regarded as a good citizen, in control of their consumption and their lives generally. Some possible implications for health promotion, and ideas for further research, are discussed.

Since the launch of men's lifestyle magazines in the 1980s, academic literature has predominantly focused on them as a cultural phenomenon arising from entrepreneurial and commercial initiatives and/or as cultural texts that proffer representations of masculinity such as 'new lad' and 'new dad'. This paper steps aside from the focus on culture and, instead, treats magazine content as a discursive space in which gender and sexuality are oriented to, negotiated, and accomplished within and beyond the magazine itself (i.e. through readers' responses). Specifically, membership categorisation analysis is deployed to explore how the relatively new (and perhaps alternative) category for men - 'metrosexual' - is presented and received. Our analysis suggests that masculinity concerns are central in debates about 'metrosexuality', with self-identified 'metrosexuals' invoking heterosexual prowess and self-respect on the one hand, and critics (e.g. self-identified 'real men') lamenting 'metrosexuality' for its perceived effeminacy and lack of authenticity on the other. Implications for understanding contemporary masculinities are discussed. © 2011 Taylor & Francis.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol use is a major contributor to the burden of disease, including long-term non-communicable diseases. Alcohol can also interact with and counter the effects of medications. This study addresses how people with long term conditions, who take multiple medications, experience and understand their alcohol use. The study objective is to explore how people conceptualise the risks posed to their own health from their concurrent alcohol and medicines use. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 24 people in the North of England taking medication for long term conditions who drank alcohol twice a week or more often. Transcripts were analysed using a modified framework method with a constructionist thematic analysis. Alcohol was consumed recreationally and to aid with symptoms of sleeplessness, stress and pain. Interviewees were concerned about the felt effects of concurrent alcohol and medicines use and sought ways to minimise the negative effects. Interviewees associated their own drinking with short-term reward, pleasure and relief. Risky drinking was located elsewhere, in the drinking of others. People made experiential, embodied sense of health harms and did not seem aware of, or convinced by, (or in some cases appeared resigned to) future harms to their own health from alcohol use. The study has limitations common to exploratory qualitative studies. CONCLUSIONS: Health risk communication should be better informed about how people with long-term health conditions perceive health outcomes over time, and how they adopt experience-based safety strategies in contexts in which alcohol consumption is heavily promoted and weakly regulated, whilst medicines adherence is expected. Supporting people to make active and informed connections between medicines, alcohol and potential personal health harms requires more than a one-way style of risk communication if it is to be perceived as opening up rather than restricting choice.

Objectives.  This study was designed to investigate women's experiences of engaging in an age‐appearance anti‐smoking intervention.

Methods.  Ten 18‐ to 34‐year‐old women gave accounts of their experiences after engaging in an age‐appearance facial morphing anti‐smoking intervention in interviews ( n = 7) and a focus group ( n = 3), and 37 women gave their accounts while they were engaged in the intervention. Transcripts were analysed using a thematic analysis broadly informed by the procedures of Grounded Theory.

Results.  Women were very concerned about the impact of ageing on their faces in general, and in particular the additional impact of smoking on their skin. Women were concerned about other people's reactions to them as older smokers with wrinkled skin, and many experienced a physical shock reaction (including reports of nausea) to seeing how they would age if they continued to smoke. They reported that seeing their own face aged on the computer screen increased their perceived risk of skin wrinkling. Women reported being highly motivated to quit smoking as a result of the intervention, and many reported that they would take active steps to quit having seen how they would look if they continued to smoke. This was linked with increased perceived personal responsibility for quitting.

Conclusions.  Results are discussed in relation to suggestions for anti‐smoking interventions aimed at women in the 18‐ to 34‐year‐old age group. It is concluded that interventions incorporating age‐appearance morphing techniques are likely to be effective in helping women to take active steps to quit smoking.

Recent theory and research on men and masculinities within feminist and critical social psychologies has largely drawn upon social constructionism and discourse analysis. This work has been useful in extending our understanding of contemporary discourses drawn upon by men to construct masculine identities and/or to construct ‘subordinated others’ such as women and gay men. But it has been pointed out that discourse analytic work does not adequately account for emotional or experiential dimensions to (masculine) identities. To address this problem, several writers have turned to versions of psychoanalytic theory as this perspective is directly concerned with emotional life. Psychoanalysis has been reworked so that concepts traditionally read as intra‐psychic essences (e. g. anxiety, desire, defence) are re‐interpreted as interpersonal and contextual. Informed by this work, I argue that a psychoanalytic, particularly Kleinian, reading of focus group discussions with heterosexual men can help illuminate aspects of the contemporary reproduction of masculinities. I use data collected from a ‘men and masculinities’ project and focus primarily on emotive talk which ‘others’ gay men and women. Concepts such as ‘projection’ are used to connect the men's constructions of others with shared anxieties about masculinities. The implications and advantages of pursuing psychoanalytic accounts of (masculine) subjectivities within social psychology are then discussed.

Inflammatory bowel disease is associated with stigmatising symptoms. Online support platforms eschew stigma, thus may appeal more to men who avoid traditional forms of health support. Using a critical realist netnographic approach and inductive thematic analysis, this study examined six blogs written by UK-based men to explore how inflammatory bowel disease was narrated. Three subthemes and one overarching theme - The (in)visible paradox of IBD - were developed. Findings suggest private aspects of inflammatory bowel disease risk experiential erasure, whereas public aspects lack control. Blogging facilitates the regaining of control, leading to important support connections and a re-imagining of the male inflammatory bowel disease body.

This qualitative study explored how young people (16- to 24-year olds), both smokers and non-smokers, talk about the social role of smoking in their everyday lives. In 22 focus group interviews, 47 high school children and 40 university undergraduates participated. On the basis of analyses, it is proposed that the perceived need to smoke cannot be reduced to addiction; cigarettes appear to play a complex social role in young people's lives. In order to resist smoking, participants highlighted the need to provide an excuse to peers, and some reasons (e.g. an interest in sport for boys) were considered more legitimate than others. Cigarettes (certain brands) were also claimed to be used as a way of controlling other people's perception of smokers, and also to serve as a social tool (for instance, to fill in awkward gaps in conversation). Additionally, smoking was argued to be subject to context (e.g. some schools possess a pro-smoking ethic, while others and universities are anti-smoking). Finally, it was claimed that stopping smoking is difficult since all of the foregoing social factors cannot easily be avoided. The findings of this study compliment and enrich existing social psychological approaches to smoking in young people, and lay the basis for anti-smoking campaigns which take into account the complex social role cigarettes play in the lives of young people. © 2008 The British Psychological Society.

This study investigates how men's body image develops over time. A total of 14 men aged between 45 and 67 years completed in-depth interviews where they discussed their body image since childhood, prompted in some cases by photographs of themselves at different ages that they brought to the interviews. Transcripts were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. From the participants' accounts, it was evident that body concerns did not steadily improve or worsen, but waxed and waned over time. Results are discussed in relation to understanding changing body concerns in men's lives, and the implications of these for future research and practice.

Currently, little is known about the meanings men attach to food or to the links between food and health. The burgeoning literature on men's health highlights forms of masculinity (e.g. risk-taking, invulnerability) as a factor (negatively) influencing men's health practices. The aim of this study was to provide an analysis of men's accounts of food and health using concepts pertaining to masculinity. We report on a qualitative analysis of a dataset comprising 24 interviews with UK men from a range of age and social class groups. Our findings suggest two principal barriers to healthy eating in men: cynicism about government health messages and a rejection of healthy food on grounds of poor taste and inability to satisfy. These findings are discussed in relation to masculine ideals such as rationality, autonomy and strength. The implications of our analysis for future research and men's health promotion policy are discussed. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: This paper reports on an exploratory ethnographic observation study which aimed to understand how alcohol fits into routine service provision in the New Medicine Service (NMS), Medication Use Reviews (MUR) and pharmacists' everyday practices in UK community pharmacies. DESIGN AND METHODS: Observations were undertaken in five community pharmacies featuring nine community pharmacists. This involved observation of 16 MURs and 15 NMS consultations and informal interviews with pharmacists as they conducted their work. Fieldnotes were subjected to a constructionist thematic analysis. RESULTS: Pharmacists were underprepared and unconfident in discussing alcohol in medicine consultations. Most pharmacists raised alcohol consumption in the MUR and NMS as part of a 'lifestyle check'. They reported that alcohol was difficult to raise, and to discuss and that people were reluctant to talk about their drinking. Their main concern was that raising the topic would alienate customers. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: These findings raise questions regarding a range of issues about how pharmacists discuss alcohol in medicines consultations, why they lack a clear sense of purpose in doing so and therefore where alcohol fits into UK community pharmacy practice.

Contemporary ideals of health and nutrition conspire to render the consumption of chocolate and similar snacks problematic. Individuals who self-define as ‘chocoholics’ therefore present an ideal opportunity to investigate how ostensibly unhealthy acts are defined, defended and maintained within a health-conscious climate. This article reports on an interview-based study with five self-professed chocoholics. A Foucauldian form of discourse analysis was applied to the interview transcripts and four main discourses identified: chocolate as dirty and dangerous; chocolate as pleasure; self-surveillance; and addiction. The function of such discourses in terms of upholding the moral status of these individuals is discussed.

Little research to date has focused on the meanings men attach to food and the relationship between diet and health. This is an important topic in light of the current 'crisis' in men's health and the role of lifestyle factors such as diet in illness prevention. Since the mass media is a powerful source of information about health matters generally, media representations bear critical examination. The present paper reports on an in-depth qualitative analysis of contemporary UK newspaper articles on the topic of men and diet (N = 44). The findings indicate a persistent adherence to hegemonic masculinities predicated on health-defeating diets, special occasion cooking of hearty meals, and a general distancing from the feminised realm of dieting. At the same time, men are constructed as naïve and vulnerable when it comes to diet and health, while women are viewed as experts. The implications for health promotion with men are discussed. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

This paper reports a follow‐up study of 11 mental health nurses (MHNs) (from an original of 14) who were interviewed about their perception of the role of the MHN while they were still mental health student nurses (MHSNs). These participants perceived the MHN to perform a variety of roles, implementing ward administration, offering physical and psychological interventions, administering drugs and teaching. However, some MHNs were reported to function outside the boundary of professional practice in the form of alleged malpractice, non‐involvement or negative approach to care. This study addresses the research question: ‘how is the role of the MHN perceived after MHSNs have made the transition to MHN?’. The aim of the study is to examine whether nurses have changed the perception of their role having had 6‐month post‐registration experience. This information will inform the training of MHNs and identify possible problems with the way in which the function of the mental health nurse is organized. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 11 MHNs at least 6 months post registration. Transcripts were analysed using a qualitative approach based on grounded theory. Analysis of the interviews with post‐registration MHNs produced four main themes: transition, role ambiguity, lack of support and a theory–practice gap. Our conclusion is that there was no drastic change to participants’ pre‐ and post‐registration perception in that the role of the MHN is ambiguous by virtue of their engagement in a variety of tasks. However, post‐registration participants were more able to articulate rationales for their role vis‐à‐vis the practical realities of the clinical areas.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) that has caused the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic represents the greatest international biopsychosocial emergency the world has faced for a century, and psychological science has an integral role to offer in helping societies recover. The aim of this paper is to set out the shorter- and longer-term priorities for research in psychological science that will (a) frame the breadth and scope of potential contributions from across the discipline; (b) enable researchers to focus their resources on gaps in knowledge; and (c) help funders and policymakers make informed decisions about future research priorities in order to best meet the needs of societies as they emerge from the acute phase of the pandemic. The research priorities were informed by an expert panel convened by the British Psychological Society that reflects the breadth of the discipline; a wider advisory panel with international input; and a survey of 539 psychological scientists conducted early in May 2020. The most pressing need is to research the negative biopsychosocial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to facilitate immediate and longer-term recovery, not only in relation to mental health, but also in relation to behaviour change and adherence, work, education, children and families, physical health and the brain, and social cohesion and connectedness. We call on psychological scientists to work collaboratively with other scientists and stakeholders, establish consortia, and develop innovative research methods while maintaining high-quality, open, and rigorous research standards.

© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd The following essay responds to three main issues raised by Phelps and White (2018) in their critical commentary on our article (McDonald, Gough, Wearing & Deville, 2017). The first concerns the lack of precision in the conceptualisation of neoliberalism and the recent threats to it as we enter a potentially new phase of capitalism. While we share Phelps and White's concern, we argue that there is value in continuing to use neoliberalism as a concept for understanding some aspects of social behaviour. As to recent threats to neoliberalism, evidence indicates that it will continue to persist in the immediate future. To deal with neoliberalism's conceptual problems in social psychology, Phelps and White advance the potential theory of a ‘market-derived logics’. We commend the authors for pursuing this endeavor, however, we caution that care needs to be taken in its conceptualisation. Lastly, we discuss Phelps and White's disciplinary reflections on social psychology.

Background  Internationally, there are increasing numbers of women entering medicine. Although all countries have different health care systems and social contexts, all still show horizontal (women concentrated in certain areas of work) and vertical (women under represented at higher levels of the professions) segregation. There is much discussion and competing explanations about the implications of the increasing numbers of women in the medical profession.

Aims  The purpose of this review was to explore the evidence, issues and explanations to understand the effects of the changing composition of the medical profession.

Conclusions  This review identified evidence that delineates some of the effects of gender on the culture, practice and organisation of medicine. There are problems with some of the research methodologies and we identify areas for further research. To understand the effects of the changing gender composition of medicine it will be necessary to use more sophisticated research designs to explore the structural, economic, historical and social contexts that interact to produce medical culture. This will provide a basis for exploring the impact and implications of these changes and has immediate relevance for workforce planning and understanding both the changing nature of health professions' education and health care delivery.

Recent theory and research on men and masculinities within feminist and critical social psychologies has largely drawn upon social constructionism and discourse analysis. This work has been useful in extending our understanding of contemporary discourses drawn upon by men to construct masculine identities and/or to construct 'subordinated others' such as women and gay men. But it has been pointed out that discourse analytic work does not adequately account for emotional or experiential dimensions to (masculine) identities. To address this problem, several writers have turned to versions of psychoanalytic theory as this perspective is directly concerned with emotional life. Psychoanalysis has been reworked so that concepts traditionally read as intra-psychic essences (e.g. anxiety, desire, defence) are re-interpreted as interpersonal and contextual. Informed by this work, I argue that a psychoanalytic, particularly Kleinian, reading of focus group discussions with heterosexual men can help illuminate aspects of the contemporary reproduction of masculinities. I use data collected from a 'men and masculinities' project and focus primarily on emotive talk which 'others' gay men and women. Concepts such as 'projection' are used to connect the men's constructions of others with shared anxieties about masculinities. The implications and advantages of pursuing psychoanalytic accounts of (masculine) subjectivities within social psychology are then discussed.

This book assesses the construction of masculinities in relation to appearance, embodiment and emotions by drawing on perspectives in psychology, sociology, gender studies and public health.

Exhibitionism is defined by the DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) as a paraphilia involving exposing one’s genitals to a stranger. Within psycho-medical discourse, exhibitionism is defined as abnormal and devoid of sexual motivation, and ‘normal’ female sexuality is often construed as passive. This study sought to explore the ways in which women exhibitionists themselves construct their activities. Six women were interviewed online about their motivations to exhibit and the perceived effects of exhibitionism. Using discourse analysis, we found that the women promoted and normalized their exhibitionism utilizing repertoires such as ‘personal fulfilment’, ‘self as responsible’, and ‘exhibitionism as socially supported’. Notably, the women tended to deploy traditional psycho-medical discourse around male exhibitionists to augment their own, more positive, self-constructions. The alternative constructions of women’s exhibitionism are discussed as well as the unitary conceptualization of paraphilia.

This paper reports findings from a qualitative investigation into the relationship between physical activity and mental health from the experiences of participants on exercise referral schemes. A grounded theory methodology was adopted which used focus groups and semi-structured interviews with participants from three exercise referral schemes in England. Schemes were representative of different types within the UK, and included a local authority leisure centre, a private health club and a local authority leisure centre scheme with organized countryside hikes. Pre- and post-exercise referral intervention focus groups, and interviews with purposively sampled individuals, were undertaken. Eighteen people participated and interviews were audio-taped, transcribed and analyzed. A conceptual framework emerged, and provides a psycho-social explanation for the physical activity and mental health relationship from the perspectives of the participants' who experienced it. The explanation of the relationship from this perspective identifies the core category 'self-acceptance', and the importance and interrelationship of context-related factors (such as social support and the physical environment), for the elicitation of positive experiences for people on exercise referral schemes. Investigating participant's experiences within the social contexts of exercise referral schemes provides an understanding about whether schemes have the potential to influence the mental health of referred patients. © Oxford University Press 2005; All rights reserved.

This handbook is the first to bring together the latest theory and research on critical approaches to social psychological challenges. Edited by a leading authority in the field, this volume further establishes critical social psychology as a discipline of study, distinct from mainstream social psychology. The handbook explains how critical approaches to social processes and phenomena are essential to fully understanding them, and covers the main research topics in basic and applied social psychology, including social cognition, identity and social relations, alongside overviews of the main theories and methodologies that underpin critical approaches. This volume features a range of leading authors working on key social psychological issues, and highlights a commitment to a social psychology which shuns psychologisation, reductionism and neutrality. It provides invaluable insight into many of the most pressing and distressing issues we face in modern society, including the migrant and refugee crises affecting Europe; the devaluing of black lives in the USA; and the poverty, ill-health, and poor mental well-being that has resulted from ever-increasing austerity efforts in the UK. Including sections on critical perspectives, critical methodologies, and critical applications, this volume also focuses on issues within social cognition, self and identity. This one-stop handbook is an indispensable resource for a range of academics, students and researchers in the fields of psychology and sociology, and particularly those with an interest in social identity, power relations, and critical interventions.

In this article, the authors explore the ways that allyship and queer-straight alliance-building are constructed by a group of men who have participated in a men’s health promotion and human rights project to promote inclusion in and through sport. Examining ten participants’ accounts, collected through online semi-structured interviews, we explore the benefits and challenges of alliance-building between privileged and marginalised group members by foregrounding both straight and queer voices and experiences. We conclude with reflections on the challenges encountered in the health and human rights project as indicative of both the limitations and the productive possibilities for (un)learning allyship and developing more ‘horizontal’ forms of alliance-building through highlighting pluralistic voices and experiences.

In this invited commentary I reflect on issues concerning masculinities in therapeutic spaces. I draw on contemporary masculinity concepts as well as the psychonalytic, postmodern and post-qualitative aspects of the various articles. I consider how traditional and modern expectations concerning masculinities create problems and possibilities for men in different situations, for example men from different generations (e.g. me, my father, my son). Similarly, I discuss how therapists might unwittingly [re]construct traditional masculinities in their practice–but are also ideally positioned to deconstruct masculinities which are implicated in their client’s suffering. At the same time, I note that the promotion of healthy, caring and inclusive masculinities need not be confined to the therapy room since there are now various mental health intervention which are community-based, entail peer support and which are tailored to specific constituencies of men.

OBJECTIVE: The introduction of a new clinical pharmacist workforce via Primary Care Networks (PCNs) is a recent national policy development in the National Health Service in England. This study elicits the perspectives of people with responsibility for local implementation of this national policy package. Attention to local delivery is necessary to understand the contextual factors shaping the integration of the new clinical pharmacy workforce, and thus can be expected to influence future role development. DESIGN: A qualitative, interview study SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: PCN Clinical Directors and senior pharmacists across 17 PCNs in England (n=28) ANALYSIS: Interviews were transcribed, coded and organised using the framework method. Thematic analysis and complex systems modelling were then undertaken iteratively to develop the themes. RESULTS: Findings were organised into two overarching themes: (1) local organisational innovations of a national policy under conditions of uncertainty; and (2) local multiprofessional decision-making on clinical pharmacy workforce integration and initial task assignment. Although a phased implementation of the PCN package was planned, the findings suggest that processes of PCN formation and clinical pharmacist workforce integration were closely intertwined, with underpinning decisions taking place under conditions of considerable uncertainty and workforce pressures. CONCLUSIONS: National policy decisions that required General Practitioners to form PCNs at the same time as they integrated a new workforce risked undermining the potential of both PCNs and the new workforce. PCNs require time and support to fully form and integrate clinical pharmacists if successful role development is to occur. Efforts to incentivise delivery of PCN pharmacy services in future must be responsive to local capacity.

Despite distinct sex- and gender-related differences in the presentation and manifestation of Crohn’s disease (CD), little research to date has considered men’s particular experiences. Whilst hegemonic masculine ideals have been reported to negatively impact men’s mental and physical health, increasingly research has emphasized that men engage in a diverse range of practices, including those beneficial to health. One such practice is posting about their illness experiences on social media. The interactive nature of posting online means that a dialogical approach, based on a relational epistemology, is particularly useful. This study therefore asked: “How do men who post publicly on social media author themselves and their experiences of CD?” Three participants were recruited, all of whom had a diagnosis of CD, wrote a blog, and posted on other social networking sites (SNSs) about CD. Two resided in Canada and one in the United Kingdom. All were white. For each participant, 2 years of multimodal social media data was downloaded. After screening, in-depth analysis was conducted using a dialogical approach focusing on three key dialogical concepts: genre, chronotope, and forms of authorship. The key findings emphasized the participants’ different responses to the lack of predictability caused by CD and the different ways they used social media to gain a greater sense of control over their illness stories and identities, providing important insights into the interaction between masculine identities and illness. Finally, the potential deployment of such methods in future research and within therapeutic contexts was considered.

The prelims comprise: Introduction Reflexivities Doing reflexivity Reflexivity and realism Reflexivity as deconstruction Recovering reflexivity Summary References Introduction Reflexivities Doing reflexivity Reflexivity and realism Reflexivity as deconstruction Recovering reflexivity Summary References

The prelims comprise: Introduction The study Post‐hoc reflexivity Researcher as ‘pundit’ Researcher as ‘comedian’ Researcher as ‘critic’: confronting ‘problematic’ participant talk Researcher as ‘professional’: defensively (mis) managing personal questions Final remarks Summary References Introduction The study Post‐hoc reflexivity Researcher as ‘pundit’ Researcher as ‘comedian’ Researcher as ‘critic’: confronting ‘problematic’ participant talk Researcher as ‘professional’: defensively (mis) managing personal questions Final remarks Summary References

Objective: Mortality and morbidity statistics show that men on average die younger than women and are more prone to many nongendered illnesses. Social constructions of masculinity have been implicated in men's poorer health, although it is now recognized that masculinity is a complex, multifaceted entity,elements of which can prove health-promoting. Methods: This special issue, " Men's health: Masculinity and other influences on male health behaviors," brings together a range of psychological research that demonstrates how masculinities work in different health-related situations, ranging from lifestyle choices to life-threatening diseases. Results: A cross-cutting theme concerns how masculine " capital" can function to both constrain and open up healthy practices. In the first of two sections, seven papers focus on public health issues, including physical exercise, alcohol consumption, and help-seeking. The second section then covers illness-related phenomena, including male-specific cancers, sports-induced disability,and male sterilization. These six papers examine how masculinities inhibit and promote coping with difficult embodied states with different groups of men. Conclusions: This special issue offers important insights on masculinities and health from methodologically diverse investigations, and highlights how masculinities can be deployed to improve the health of men across different contexts. © 2013 American Psychological Association.

Despite a steady growth in research into men’s health, little is known about how men experience life with a chronic illness like Type 1 diabetes. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted an interview study with 15 men who have Type 1 diabetes. Following grounded theory analysis of the interview transcripts, we generated a number of inter-related themes which were then formulated as a theory of adjustment to life with Type 1 diabetes. This theory indicates that men reduce the seriousness of diabetes by defining it in ways other than a serious illness. By viewing diabetes in this way, men are then able to prioritise the pursuit of their personal goals over adherence to the diabetes regimen. Finally, men reassess their relationship with diabetes in light of diabetes-related complications. The goal of this process is to find the ‘best fit’ for diabetes in their lives – a place which will allow them to pursue and satisfy their personal goals. As men progress through life, personal goals may change and so too will their relationship with diabetes.

Smoking in many Western societies has become a both moral aand health issue in recent years, but little is known about how smokers position themselves and regulate their behaviour in this context. In this article, we report the findings from a study investigating how smokers from an economically disadvantaged community in the East Midlands (UK) respond to concerns about the health impact of smoking on others. We conducted ten focus group (FG) discussions with mixed groups (by smoking status and gender; N = 58 participants) covering a range of topics, including smoking norms, self-regulation, and smoking in diverse contexts. We transcribed all FG discussions before analysing the data using techniques from discourse analysis. Smokers in general positioned themselves as socially responsible smokers and morally upstanding citizens. This position was bolstered in two main ways: 'everyday accommodation', whereby everyday efforts to accommodate the needs of non-smokers were referenced, and 'taking a stand', whereby proactive interventions to prevent smoking in (young) others were cited. We suggest that smoking cessation campaigns could usefully be informed by this ethic of care for others.

Aims: To explore attitudes towards, and experience of, illicit tobacco usage in a disadvantaged community against a backdrop of austerity and declining national trends in illicit tobacco use. Design: Qualitative study using 10 focus groups. Setting: Multiply disadvantaged community in Nottingham, United Kingdom. Participants: Fifty-eight smokers, ex- and non-smokers aged 15-60 years. Measurements: Focus group topic guides. Findings: There was high awareness and use of illegal tobacco sources, with 'fag houses' (individuals selling cigarettes from their own homes) being particularly widespread. Rather than being regarded as marginal behaviour, buying illicit tobacco was perceived as commonplace, even where products were known to be counterfeit. Smokers' willingness to smoke inferior 'nasty' counterfeit products may be testament to their need for cheap nicotine. Illicit tobacco was seen to be of mutual benefit to both user (because of its low cost) and seller (because it provided income and support for the local economy). Illicit tobacco sellers were generally condoned, in contrast with the government, which was blamed for unfair tobacco taxation, attitudes possibly heightened by the recession. Easy access to illicit tobacco was seen to facilitate and sustain smoking, with the main concern being around underage smokers who were perceived to be able to buy cheap cigarettes without challenge. Conclusions: National strategies to reduce illicit tobacco may have limited impact in communities during a recession and where illicit trade is part of the local culture and economy. There may be potential to influence illicit tobacco use by building on the ambivalence and unease expressed around selling to children. © 2013 Society for the Study of Addiction.

This paper explores contemporary understandings and representations of the penis. It presents an overview of recent trends which re-frame long-standing penile anxieties within a new hybrid world of health and aesthetics. It explores these apparent changes through the lens of biomedicalisation. By focusing on constructions of masculinities in crisis, changes in the representability of the penis and the effects of Viagra, it suggests that contemporary penile pathologies and anxieties are being constructed and commodified. In the past medical discourse has focused primarily upon the 'traditional' functionality of the penis, more recently it has focussed upon pharmaceutical innovations such as Viagra. However, we suggest that now there appears to be the emergence of a new penile discourse, a penile aesthetic that focuses upon penile appearance as much as function. This shift has been facilitated by the Internet, the deregulation of pornography and changes in sexual mores. © 2013 by the Men's Studies Press, LLC.

OBJECTIVES: Postnatal depression affects approximately 15% of women in Western countries. There are conflicting findings about the effects on fathers as well as the extent to which fathers buffer against the negative effects of depression on children. This study sought to understand the ways in which maternal postnatal depression affects men and their ways of fathering. DESIGN: Narrative interviews were conducted with 14 British fathers (mean age = 33.9 years) whose (ex)partners had experienced at least one episode of postnatal depression. Interviews explored how their partner's depression affected them, the partner relationship, their children and their ways of fathering. Data were analysed with interpretative phenomenological analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Men felt that their partner's depression led to significant physical and/or psychological maternal absence as well as a fracturing of the family unit, which had been an important ideological foundation for men's fathering. Unequal divisions of labour, unfulfilled expectations, a thwarting of preferred ways of fathering and preoccupation with their partner's depression took some men away from fathering. Others reported adaptation by accepting the loss of shared parenting and investing in an exclusive father-child relationship. Fathering appears to be particularly affected by the loss of a close adult relationship.

Critical Social Psychology introduces students, in a straightforward, practical and accessible way, to key themes and debates arising from this fast-growing - and often complex - field.

In a previous study by the author, in which participants were asked to comment on `life in the 1990s', two major narratives around time were identified (within and across interviews) as `conservative' and `liberal'. The former emphasizes present degeneration and nostalgic recapitulation, the latter progress and the relative superiority of the present over the past. This dual accounting around time is framed in this article, after Billig et al., as an `ideological dilemma' and as such constitutive of a dynamic dialectical debate which ensures that no one perspective assumes total authority. The negotiation of these contradictory ideas is explicated and analysed with particular reference to discussions around nostalgia and political critique.

The present study aims to contribute to recent developments in feminist and social constructionist work in the arena of masculinities in higher education by examining the talk within three all-male psychology student discussion groups. One of the authors facilitated the sessions by maintaining a broad focus on gender-related issues and the conversations were subsequently transcribed and subjected to a discourse analysis. The men's talk, although complex and often contradictory, functioned largely to present contemporary gender relations as empowering for women and disempowering for men. To this end, the main discursive strategies are highlighted and ideological import of the men's talk is discussed. In particular, it is argued that such talk continues to reproduce inequality through stereotypical presentations of men and women (even when those very discourses are criticised by the men) and precludes change of the present status quo through claims that women are already in a favourable position in terms of education and employment.

The burgeoning literature on 'masculinities' has produced many insightful theoretical and cultural analyses. Yet, apart from a few notable exceptions, very little work has analysed the things men say, or the social practices implied therein. The present paper, then, is based on a discourse analysis of three small group discussions with a sample of nine male undergraduate students. The analysis points to a repertoire commonly used by the participants about suppressing one's thoughts and practices ('biting your tongue') in particular contexts, notably at college in discussions with 'feminist' colleagues, at home addressing the division of domestic labour with spouse/partner and in the pub with old male friends. In addition, some anti-feminist and sexist discourses are reproduced in the talk, although these were not presented consistently and, indeed, were occasionally juxtaposed with egalitarian arguments. The ideological implications of such discourse on gender (relations) are discussed.

The last two decades have seen a marked increase in men's self-presentation practices and the creation of a new identity category: “metrosexual” (Simpson, 1994, 2002). Here we examine men's makeup use, considered one of the more extreme indicators of “metrosexuality” (Harrison, 2008). We deploy a discursive analytic approach informed in particular by membership categorisation analysis (Sacks, 1972a, 1972b, 1992) to examine male makeup users' responses to a young man's online makeup tutorial posted on YouTube. In particular we focus on how the video creator and the respondents design and manage the accounts of their activities, paying particular attention to those gendered norms and categories invoked. What we find is that when contributors endorse or reference cosmetic use they invariably attempt to inoculate themselves against potential charges of being “gay”; our analysis highlights the strategies used to manage gender and sexual identities. In addition, we discuss the implications of the analysis for mapping contemporary masculinities.

Discourse analytic research on masculinity has produced some interesting and insightful understandings of male-bonding talk and/or talk around alcohol-related activities. These and other contributions have helped demonstrate the dependence of ‘hegemonic’ masculinities on the discursive subordination of the ‘other’, notably women and gay men. The present study builds on such work by examining the reproduction of masculinities in the context of a group of four young men interacting under the influence of alcohol. The talk was recorded with the permission of the four participants (one of whom is a co-author – GE) and subsequently subjected to discourse analysis. Particular attention is paid to definitions of (male) self and others – women, gay men and men from ethnically different backgrounds – which are negotiated during the interaction. The analysis is discussed in the light of current debates on the discursive reproduction of masculinities.

The diagnosis of a chronic progressive condition such as multiple sclerosis (MS) can impact on many aspects of daily life. Living with, and caring for, an individual with such a condition is likely to have emotional and psychological consequences. We carried out semi-structured interviews with nine partners and analysed the interview transcripts using grounded theory (Strauss & Corbin, 1998), the phase presented in this article formed part of a larger overall study that explored the impact of living with MS for partners and a family. Our analysis in this phase highlights two core themes centred on identity issues faced by the participants: 'playing detective' in order to acquire information and manage the situation; and 'reshaping identities' in a shifting context, which reflected the participants' difficulties in reconfiguring important identities (at work and at home). Although previous research has addressed how carers cope, there is a dearth of qualitative literature relating to whether or not partners' identities are affected by taking a central role in caring, including how previous identities are maintained and new ones acquired. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

This work introduces students to key themes and debates arising from this field.

This book recognises the considerable value of reflexivity to researchers, and provides a means to navigate this field. The book is foremost a practical guide which examines reflexivity at different stages of the research process.

CHAPTER. 6. Men,. masculinities. and. health. Brendan. Gough. In light of the concern about rising obesity in men, and about the men's health 'crisis' more generally, it seems reasonable to posit a role for 'masculinity'. In other words, there ...

This book provides the first resource dedicated to critically examining gender and sex in study designs, methods, and analysis in health research.

Discourses around masculinities have recently attracted critical attention from feminist social psychology. The present paper contributes to this field by problematizing talk around gender equality in the context of all-male group discussions. Two broad patterns of accounting which promulgated male superiority were identified - appeals to gender difference/dominance and egalitarian ideals. The invocation of gender difference was grounded variously in `socialization', `biology' and the `psychology of women' repertoires. It is argued that such accounts of stable gender differences are ideological, in that they mask oppression by rendering existing power relations natural and inevitable. As well, and somewhat paradoxically, the articulation of liberal values assisted in the formulation of sexist sentiment. This particular discursive strategy has been well documented with respect to `new racism' and only recently studied in the context of sexism. The discursive reproduction of inequalities is clearly an important feminist issue and the ideological import of such talk is discussed.

This five-volume collection maps the terrain of qualitative psychology, using classic papers from the last 25 years to document key principles, orientations and virtues, and drawing on more recent papers to delineate current trends, ...

The focus of this article is on constructions of health and illness in relation to smoking. Specifically, we were interested in how culturally embedded health promotion messages were discussed and understood by our young smokers-and how continued smoking was rationalised in the context of a thoroughgoing anti-smoking climate. To investigate accounts of smoking maintenance, we conducted focus group discussions (N = 22 groups) with young adults from both high school and university settings. Techniques from discourse analysis were used to identify significant patterns of talk around health and smoking, and three main repertoires were elicited. First, the health risks of smoking were downplayed in several ways (e.g. by citing other risky activities). Second, the putative health benefits of smoking were emphasised (e.g. stress relief). Third, smoking was construed as a temporary, youthful phenomenon, which would cease upon entering responsible adulthood. The implications of these three interlocking repertoires are discussed in relation to smoking maintenance, and suggestions for targeted health promotion are made.

This qualitative study explored how young people (16‐ to 24‐year olds), both smokers and non‐smokers, talk about the social role of smoking in their everyday lives. In 22 focus group interviews, 47 high school children and 40 university undergraduates participated. On the basis of analyses, it is proposed that the perceived need to smoke cannot be reduced to addiction; cigarettes appear to play a complex social role in young people's lives. In order to resist smoking, participants highlighted the need to provide an excuse to peers, and some reasons (e.g. an interest in sport for boys) were considered more legitimate than others. Cigarettes (certain brands) were also claimed to be used as a way of controlling other people's perception of smokers, and also to serve as a social tool (for instance, to fill in awkward gaps in conversation). Additionally, smoking was argued to be subject to context (e.g. some schools possess a pro‐smoking ethic, while others and universities are anti‐smoking). Finally, it was claimed that stopping smoking is difficult since all of the foregoing social factors cannot easily be avoided. The findings of this study compliment and enrich existing social psychological approaches to smoking in young people, and lay the basis for anti‐smoking campaigns which take into account the complex social role cigarettes play in the lives of young people.

Research on men's health has predominantly focussed on links between ‘hegemonic’ masculinities (e.g. perceived invulnerability) and health-averse practices (e.g. high fat diets). However, it seems reasonable to assume that not all men adopt conventional ‘unhealthy’ masculine positions, so it is important to study those men who are engaged in healthy practices to see how masculinity is constructed in this context. The research reported here derives from an interview study with men categorised as pursuing health-promoting lifestyles (regular exercise, no/low alcohol intake etc.). The focus is on how these apparently ‘healthy’ men (n = 10) account for their health-promoting practices, with a particular focus on the role of masculinities in framing these practices. Following intensive analysis of the interview transcripts drawing upon elements of discourse analysis, we identify a variety of accounts used by the men to frame their health-promoting practices. For example, all the men disavowed a direct interest in talking/thinking about health, construed as excessive and feminine, and instead justified their practices variously in terms of action-orientation, sporting targets, appearance concerns and being autonomous. These findings are discussed with respect to the relationships between masculinities and health, and implications for health promotion work with men are discussed.

Role of 'Big Five' personality traits as predictors of smoking and moderators of the intention-smoking relationship was tested. Five hundred and fifty-three adolescents (aged 11-12) completed measures of self-reported past smoking, gender, intentions to smoke, perceived behavioural control, family smoking, friends smoking at times 1 and 2 (6 months apart). At time 3, 2 years later, the same adolescents completed measures of the Big Five and self-reported smoking (a subset of 300 also provided an objective smoking measure). At time 4, two years after time 3, a sub-sample of 122 adolescents provided a self-report measure of recent smoking. Simple correlations indicated significant direct effects of conscientiousness (self-reported smoking, times 3 and 4), extraversion (time 4 smoking) and neuroticism (all smoking measures) on smoking. Logistic regression showed intention, and the interaction between conscientiousness and intention to significantly predict both self-reported and objectively assessed smoking (both at time 3) after controlling for other variables. Multiple regression showed intentions, family smoking and the interaction between conscientiousness and intention to significantly predict self-reported smoking at time 4 after controlling for other variables. The findings indicate that the impact of personality variables on smoking is through mediated (through cognitions) and moderated (conscientiousness by intention interaction) pathways.

In a somatic society which promotes visible, idealized forms of embodiment, men are increasingly being interpellated as image-conscious body-subjects. Some research suggests that men negotiate appearance issues in complex and varied ways, partly because image concerns are conventionally feminized. However, little research has considered how overweight men construct body projects in the context of weight loss, or how men talk to each other about weight management efforts. Since sources of information and support for overweight men are now provided online, including dedicated weight loss discussion forums, our analysis focuses on one such forum, linked to a popular male-targeted magazine. We conducted a thematic analysis of selected extracts from seven threads on the forum. Our analysis suggests a widespread focus on appearance, as well as the use of emotion categories when describing difficult bodily experiences. Invariably, however, such talk was carefully constructed and constrained by hegemonic masculinities founded on discipline, work-orientation, pragmatism and self-reliance. The findings are discussed in relation to magazine masculinities and aesthetics, as well as literature on male embodiment.

The problem of subjectivity within psychological research has long been recognized. The practices of scientific psychology, however, continue to assume that objectivity is desirable, even if not completely possible, and that subjectivity is a source of bias that must be minimized or eliminated. Such a dispassionate stance has offered and continues to offer a range of benefits, not least a tight focus on participants' relevant responses. Nonetheless, in this article, we question the wisdom of always or automatically working to minimize participant and researcher subjectivity, and we invite psychological researchers to consider the benefits of a more, what we term, reflexive scientific attitude. We turn in particular to recent theoretical and methodological innovations within qualitative research in order to help us progress toward a more reflexive psychological science where subjectivity is re-viewed as a resource that can be tapped in order to contextualize and enrich the psychological research process and its products.

Chronic progressive conditions such as multiple sclerosis impact engagement in and orchestration of daily occupations by people with the condition, and their family members. This qualitative study addressed the way in which multiple sclerosis can affect family life, particularly exploring how it affects the occupations of the partner of a person with the condition. The study involved in-depth interviewing and grounded theory analysis to explore the occupational nature of being a partner of someone who has multiple sclerosis. Findings reveal how partners’ occupations are affected over time, with occupational opportunities inspired by multiple sclerosis and occupational constraints provoked by the disorder, including nostalgia for an multiple sclerosis free existence, the transition to being a carer and an occupationally uncertain future. © 2006, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.

This study investigated 30 male smokers' experiences of an appearance-focused, facial-ageing intervention. Individual interviews (n = 21) and three focus groups (n = 9) were conducted. Transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Male smokers explained that viewing the impacts of smoking on their own faces was the most effective part of the intervention and 22 men (73%) said that they intended quitting smoking or reducing number of cigarettes smoked post-intervention. It is recommended that designers of appearance-focused interventions target men in the future as the current findings demonstrated that the majority of men engaged well with the intervention.

In discussing the place of diverse qualitative research within psychological science, the authors highlight the potential permeability of the quantitative-qualitative boundary and identify different ways of increasing communication between researchers specializing in different methods. Explicating diversity within qualitative research is facilitated, initially, through documenting the range of qualitative data collection and analytic methods available. The authors then consider the notion of paradigmatic frame and review debates on the current and future positioning of qualitative research within psychological science. In so doing, the authors argue that the different ways in which the concept of paradigm can be interpreted allow them to challenge the idea that diverse research paradigms are prima facie incommensurate. Further, reviewing the ways in which proponents of qualitative research are seeking to reconfigure the links between paradigms helps the authors to envisage how communication between research communities can be enhanced. This critical review allows the authors to systematize possible configurations for research practice in psychology on a continuum of paradigm integration and to specify associated criteria for judging intermethod coherence.

Ephedrine use in sport is a common practice among men. Less well understood is men's use of ephedrine as a slimming aid. Arguably fuelled by the 'war on obesity' and the drive for muscularity, the Internet has become awash with claims presenting ephedrine as safe. The use of this psychoactive substance can have acute health implications such as tachycardia, arrhythmias and cardiovascular disease. Given the tension between health risk and ephedrine-induced weight loss, how men justify their use of ephedrine becomes an important question. In particular, we wished to analyse how male users talked to others about ephedrine in discussions linked to an online version of a popular men's magazine. Because we were particularly interested in how men accounted for their ephedrine use, we used discourse analysis to examine their posts. In analysing the data, we noted that a 'community of practice' was constructed online categorising legitimate (and barred) users, emphasising the benefits of ephedrine and downplaying health-defeating side effects. Our analysis has clear implications for engaging men who use ephedrine in health promotion interventions.

© 2014 American Psychological Association. Masculinity is implicated in men's health practices (e.g., Courtenay, 2000). However, there is little quantitative work in the U.K. that examines this relationship for both men and women. This study addressed this gap in the literature and examined the moderating effect of gender on the relationship between elements of masculinity and positive (physical activity, unsaturated fat, fruit, and fiber) and negative (smoking, alcohol, and saturated fat intake) health behaviors. A community sample of 182 men and 274 women (mean age = 35.89 years) were recruited from a call center and a local authority in the North East of England. Participants completed self-report measures of Masculine Gender Role Stress (MGRS), Male Role Norms (MRN), Extended Personal Attributes (EPAQ), and Health Behaviors. Hierarchical regression analysis controlled for the effects of age, education, and ethnicity and revealed that aspects of masculinity measured by the MGRSS and the MRNS predicted worse health behaviors for both men and women (i.e., lower levels of positive health behaviors and higher levels of negative health behaviors), although these relationships were more numerous and stronger for men. Agency traits measured by the EPAQ were predictive of increased physical activity regardless of gender, and less saturated fat intake for men. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for and applications to health promotion.

This special issue showcases a range of qualitative research projects conducted by health psychologists with a view to promoting greater uptake and development of qualitative research methods in the field. It is timely because qualitative methods have become prominent across psychology and health research and because major health research funders are now inviting qualitative research to help give voice to patient experiences. As a whole, the papers demonstrate the diversity, power, and impact of qualitative research conducted in health-related settings and show how traditional health psychology methods and concepts can be enriched in the process.

Synthol is an injectable oil used by bodybuilders to make muscles appear bigger. Widely available on the Internet, it is reported to carry a wide range of health risks and side effects such as localised skin problems, nerve damage and oil-filled cysts, as well as muscle damage and the development of scar tissue. Given the tension between health risk and quick muscle enlargement, how lay users explain and justify their synthol intake becomes an important question. Drawing on discourse analysis, we focus on how lay expertise is worked up by users in the absence of available specialist knowledge by invoking medical and pharmaceutical discourses as legitimation, providing novices with support, gaining trust through positive personal narratives and thus gaining credibility as experts. Results have clear implications for health promotion interventions with bodybuilders.

© 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Consumer culture and neoliberal political economy are often viewed by social psychologists as topics reserved for anthropologists, economists, political scientists and sociologists. This paper takes an alternative view arguing that social psychology needs to better understand these two intertwined institutions as they can both challenge and provide a number of important insights into social psychological theories of self-identity and their related concepts. These include personality traits, self-esteem, social comparisons, self-enhancement, impression management, self-regulation and social identity. To illustrate, we examine how elements of consumer culture and neoliberal political economy intersect with social psychological concepts of self-identity through three main topics: 'the commodification of self-identity', 'social categories, culture and power relations' and the 'governing of self-regulating consumers'. In conclusion, we recommend a decommodified approach to research with the aim of producing social psychological knowledge that avoids becoming enmeshed with consumer culture and neoliberalism.

© 2017 College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists. There has been a recent trend for the construct of addiction to be applied to sexual behaviours. A growing number of people recounting excessive sexual thoughts or behaviours have been categorized as suffering from sex “addiction”. Sex addiction is said to involve a pathological relationship to sex, with the symptomology akin to drug dependence. Opposing interpretations have argued that sex addiction is used as a stigmatizing label for those who deviate from a socially constructed sexual standard. A Foucauldian form of discourse analysis was used to analyse semi-structured interviews with nine men who identified as sex-addicts or as highly sexual though not addicted to sex. Our analysis explores how sexual addiction is constructed by some interviewees, and focuses on the discursive theme of losing control, used by interviewees to construct their positioning and moral status. Socio-political and ideological connotations of a loss of control were constructed using psychological and biomedical discourses of illness, vulnerability and stress. These, in turn, produce implications for requisite treatment and societal intervention.

This article examines issues of sexuality and identity for women who have been sexually abused as children. It is based on five in-depth semi-structured interviews with women who were `identified' as survivors of childhood sexual abuse, a study which, in turn, forms part of a larger project exploring social constructions of sexual abuse in childhood (in therapeutic and self-help settings). A discourse analytic approach is used to explore how various meanings surrounding women's sexuality in relation to past events of childhood abuse are deployed and `the different ways in which people ascribe meaning to, and make sense of their situation' in the present (Crossley, 1997: 73). Attention is paid to the ways in which survivors construct their own and others' sexuality and identity in relation to their understandings of themselves as survivors of child sexual abuse and as `women'. This emphasis on the social identities of women sexually abused as children, addresses a gap in psychological and clinical theorizing. In particular, a critical reading is offered regarding how `gendered identifications' within discourses (e.g. psychoanalytic) get taken up and used by women to interpret themselves as past (blameworthy) victims and present (pathological) survivors.

Given the paucity of research in this area, the primary aim of this study was to explore how parents of infants with unclear sex at birth made sense of 'intersex'. Qualitative methods were used (semi-structured interviews, interpretative phenomenological analysis) with 10 parents to generate pertinent themes and provide ideas for further research. Our analysis highlights the fundamental shock engendered by the uncertain sex status of children, and documents parental struggles to negotiate a coherent sex identity for their children. Findings are discussed in light of the rigid two-sex system which pervades medicine and everyday life, and we argue that greater understanding of the complexity of sex and gender is required in order to facilitate better service provision and, ultimately, greater informed consent and parental participation regarding decisions about their children's status.

ABSTRACT

Although the Internet has opened up new avenues for identity expression, many web‐based sources have yet to be examined. Online testimonials as a form word‐of‐mouth advertising are a relatively new development. The present study examines the construction of masculinities in men's cosmetics adverting testimonials presented on the website of a leading brand. The dataset is examined using discursive psychology and membership categorization analysis methodologies. The findings indicate that when men write facial cosmetics testimonials they still justify the use of these non‐typical masculine products even in the absence of others’ responses. The analysis highlights the continued difficulty men report in using typically feminized products, frequently accounting for their cosmetic use as a "corrective" measure rather than for beautification. The implications for the marketing of masculine products are discussed.

© 2015 American Psychological Association. Most research on male body image to date has focused on young men using quantitative methods. The study reported here is based on qualitative interviews with a sample of older obese men (n = 30) on a weight management program, and we asked them about body-related feelings. The interviews were all transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Our results indicate that although body weight was typically minimized, body image was a key concern, with many examples of body consciousness and body dissatisfaction evident. On the other hand, postprogram weight loss was associated with a transformative shift in body image, with the men emphasizing enhanced body confidence, self-esteem and psychological wellbeing. We conclude by highlighting the need to recognize and address appearance issues and health concerns for middle-aged and older men.

We describe a novel approach to member reflection interviewing which integrates audio-visual elicitation materials based on researcher interpretation of participant-generated social media data. Informed by Bakhtinian dialogism, this method extends existing member reflection and elicitation methods to develop a new phase of data generation and analysis at the mid-point of a research project, in this case one exploring men’s social media stories of Crohn’s disease. A major purpose of this second phase was to illuminate how the interviews with and analyses by the researchers shaped participants’ responses. Three participants took part, each of whom reported gaining new insights into themselves and their posts. We argue that this method fostered transformative dialogue, producing fresh understandings and generating new perspectives for both participants and researchers. We propose that this innovative form of interviewing encourages compassionate and mindful interaction, offering the potential to enhance the depth and significance of participant involvement in research.

This book evaluates the emergence of, and apparent increasing use of, non-prescription and prescription drugs in changing appearance. It will focus both on drugs used for weight loss and those used for muscle building. Many of these drugs have health risks and harmful side effects. This makes an understanding of their effects and motivations for their use for body modification crucially important to anyone with an interest in promoting health. In this introduction, we examine some of the current relevant literature before setting out the structure of the book. In summarising each section and chapter we show how exploring drug (mis)use from a psychosocial perspective, and drawing on a range of methodologies, can help in identifying clear implications for health promotion interventions designed to prevent or reduce drug (mis)use.

This handbook is the second edition of a highly cited and impactful collection, which was the first to bring together the latest theory and research on critical approaches to social psychological challenges. Edited by a leading authority in the field, the volume helped to establish critical social psychology as a discipline of study, distinct from mainstream social psychology. The book helps to explain how critical approaches to social processes and phenomena are essential to fully understanding them and covers the main research topics in basic and applied social psychology, including social cognition, identity and social relations, alongside overviews of the main theories and methodologies that underpin critical approaches. This second edition adds four new chapters – from two UK authors, one US and one from New Zealand - on the subjects of Indigenous Psychologies, Māori communities, Deleuze and arts-based research. It also adds a new introduction from the editor. This volume features a range of leading authors working on key social psychological issues, and highlights a commitment to a social psychology which shuns psychologisation, reductionism and neutrality. It provides invaluable insight into many of the most pressing and distressing issues we face in modern society, including the migrant and refugee crises affecting Europe; the devaluing of black lives in the USA; and the poverty, ill-health, and poor mental well-being that has resulted from ever-increasing austerity efforts in the UK. Including sections on critical perspectives, critical methodologies, and critical applications, this volume also focuses on issues within social cognition, self and identity. This one-stop handbook is an indispensable resource for a range of academics, students and researchers in the fields of psychology and sociology, and particularly those with an interest in social identity, power relations, and critical interventions.

In 2023 I was surprised and delighted to be contacted by Palgrave inviting me to consider ‘refreshing’ the original handbook published in 2017 by commissioning some extra chapters. Apparently, the handbook had generated a lot of interest and the publisher was keen to build on this success. Of course I said yes, but I was then faced with the challenge of deciding on potential new topics and authors. What was missing from the handbook? Which trends, issues and debates have since emerged in the broad field of Critical Social Psychology? Eventually I settled on four areas which I thought merited dedicated coverage.

The origins and definition of “hegemonic masculinity,” which has had a huge impact on gender studies within disciplines and across interdisciplinary fields, are briefly summarized in this entry before some key debates are outlined.

Background

Brief interventions have been the cornerstone of alcohol prevention in the National Health Service, but there are important limitations to the underpinning evidence base, and implementation has been problematic. We completed the first community pharmacy brief intervention trial and found no effect. A different approach was needed. This programme proposed to integrate attention to alcohol clinically within existing pharmacy service delivery, supporting pharmacists to discuss alcohol as a toxic psychoactive drug in the contexts of potential impacts on treatments, conditions and health.

Hegemonic / Traditional western masculinity is understood to be predicated through the oppression of women through various forms of misogyny and violence and the suppression, subordination and marginalisation of men, particularly through homophobia, to police deviations from hegemonic ideals. A sample of 13 heterosexual men were recruited, aged between 19 and 56 years, sourced from initiatives involved in challenging problematic western masculinity norms and the unfair societal structures that these norms reinforce. In Study One (Part One), Biographical Narrative Interpretive Methods were employed, producing a Collective Narrative which illustrated the commonalities in the men’s lives and their trajectories to becoming adults and allies. In Study One (Part Two), a Critical Narrative Analysis considered what ideological components may be discernible in the participants’ telling of their narratives. The theories that were considered most representative of the told narratives were (highly prosocial) Hybrid Masculinities and Critical Positive Masculinities, both of which incorporate to differing degrees non-traditional components, conducive to the wellbeing of the individual and those around them. A second complimentary study was conducted involving a smaller sample of returning participants’, who’s texts were found to align most with Critical Positive Masculinities. Semi-Structured interviews and Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis illustrated a cyclical process of meaning making, in which the men’s subscriptions to masculinities were found to be largely performative, motivated by a concern with being perceived of as appealing to potential partners; i.e., heteromasculinities. Counter to this, the men masculinised the practice of critical reflexivity; perceiving self-reflection and accountability as a component of their gender constructs. Ultimately, this research contributes much needed data on non-traditional masculinities and showcases a range of wellbeing-enhancing ideologies and practices for men and boys.

This paper describes the burden of receiving immunoglobulin (Ig) treatment from the perspective of patients diagnosed with a Primary Immunodeficiency (PID). Thirty semi-structured interviews with patients receiving intravenous (n=21) and subcutaneous immunoglobulin (n=9) therapy, either at home or in hospital were undertaken. Underpinned by a phenomenological theoretical framework, and using a qualitative, inductive thematic approach to prioritise patients’ concerns, we identified that Ig treatment requires considerable effort by the patient, particularly in relation to the amount of time, organization and planning that is needed. They also face numerous physical, social, relationship, emotional, role functioning, travelling, and financial challenges in their effort to undergo and maintain their infusions and care for their health. Some qualitative differences in treatment burden were noted between home and hospital settings which contributed to non-adherence to those regimes. Immunoglobulin treatment burden is complex and influenced by therapeutic mode and setting and the personal circumstances of the patient. As choice over treatment method appears to be mainly informed by lifestyle needs, PID patients may benefit from more information about these potential Ig lifestyle influences when selecting which form of treatment to take together with their health professional.

Introduction Many cancer treatments can result in reduced fertility, impacting survivors’ opportunities for biological parenthood. Fertility preservation (FP) methods for boys and young men, such as cryopreservation of testicular tissue or sperm, offer hope but are currently underused among young male patients with cancer. Despite guidelines recommending early discussion of fertility implications, many newly diagnosed males do not receive FP counselling or referral to fertility services. Male cancer survivors face a higher likelihood of infertility than their peers, yet focused FP decision-making support is lacking. This study aims to address this gap by developing and evaluating the first dedicated patient decision aid (PtDA) for boys and young male patients with cancer aged 11–25 years old, to help them make informed FP decisions before receiving cancer treatment. Methods and analysis The current study follows a multistage process: developing the PtDA, alpha testing for acceptability with former patients, parents and healthcare professionals, and beta testing in clinical settings to ensure effective integration into routine care. Using a combination of interviews and questionnaire data, this research will assess the PtDA’s acceptability and impact on decision-making. Ethics and dissemination This study has been prospectively registered on the Research Registry (10273). Ethics approval has been obtained from Leeds Beckett University and the National Health Service/Health Research Authority before undertaking data collection. The final resource will be disseminated widely and made freely available online via our dedicated Cancer, Fertility and Me website, for use in clinical and research practice.

This article examines the qualitative research literature that exists in relation to men’s experiences of male infertility. Since men have often been marginalized in the realm of reproduction, including academic research on infertility, it is important to focus on any qualitative research that gives voices to male perspectives and concerns. Given the distress documented by studies of infertile women, we focus in particular on the emotive responses and lived experiences of men in relation to infertility. In this article then, we present an analysis of the core themes across 19 qualitative articles, which include “infertility as crisis”; “emoting infertility- men as “being strong”’ “infertility as a source of stigma”; and the “desire for fatherhood.” In light of these insights, we identify key areas for future research and development including men’s emotional responses to infertility, how men seek support for infertility, the intersection between masculinity and infertility, the relationship between the desire to father and infertility, and the outcomes of infertility for men in terms of other aspects of their lives. We suggest that such research would facilitate making the experiences of men more central within our understandings of infertility within a field that has primarily been female focused.

Relatively little research on infertility focuses exclusively or significantly on men’s experiences, particularly in relation to emotional aspects. Evidence that does exist around male infertility suggests that it is a distressing experience for men, due to stigma, threats to masculinity and the perceived need to suppress emotions, and that men and women experience infertility differently. Using thematic analysis, this article examines the online emoting of men in relation to infertility via forum posts from a men-only infertility discussion board. It was noted that men ‘talked’ to each other about the emotional burdens of infertility, personal coping strategies and relationships with others. Three major themes were identified following in-depth analysis: ‘the emotional rollercoaster’, ‘the tyranny of infertility’ and ‘infertility paranoia’. This article then offers insights into how men experience infertility emotionally, negotiate the emotional challenges involved (especially pertaining to diagnosis, treatment outcomes and their intimate relationships) and how they share (and find value in doing so) with other men the lived experience of infertility.

The benefits of psychological support in the workplace (also known as workplace counselling) are well documented. Most large organisations in the UK have staff counselling schemes. However, it is unclear what, if any, factors affect employee decisions to use such schemes. This study has used a qualitative methodology to explore the reasons that make employees use workplace counselling. Eleven employees of a university in the north of England who had used the staff counselling service of their employer took part in the study. The employer had two schemes available: an internal staff counselling service and an external Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). A semi-structured interview was used with each participant and grounded theory techniques were used to analyse the interviews. The analysis resulted in the construction of a model of psychological help-seeking in the workplace. The main findings indicate that most participants were motivated to use their employer's counselling service by their prior positive experiences of similar or other type of mental health services. Other encouraging factors were: recommendation of service by others, a supportive environment and trust in the confidential ethos of the service. Conversely, negative preconceptions of psychological help-seeking and a perception of the employing environment as unsafe were shown to have been discouraging factors. The study concludes with suggestions for practice and for further research.

While the contemporary therapeutic discourse inveigles us to talk about our personal problems, a countervailing neo-liberal healthist discourse, aligning with conventional masculinity norms, presumes that we will manage any issues independently. This discursive tension can be difficult to navigate, especially for men confronted with still powerful traditional expectations around masculinity (e.g., self-reliance; personal control; restricted emotionality). Although qualitative research has examined how men negotiate masculinities with respect to depression, to date there has been scant attention focused on men experiencing anxiety. This article reports on an interview study with men, some with anxiety diagnoses and some without (N = 17). Thematic analysis highlights that participants can and do talk about their anxieties, most readily with significant women in their lives (e.g., partners; mothers)-although this is not always straightforward. Talking to other men was more fraught, and while participants were wary of sharing problems with male friends, or signaled issues indirectly, they also highlighted situations where they would open up e.g., workspaces where they felt safe; with best friends. Those who had gone through a therapeutic process over many years tended to me more comfortable talking to others, male or female, about their mental health-and were also keen to other support to others where they could. Our analysis suggests that despite stereotypical notions of silent, self-contained men, there are many contexts where men may feel comfortable sharing their stories of pain and suffering. This chimes with wider cultural changes and the reported experiences of some mental health initiatives.

Objective: This article aims to provide insights into men’s accounts of infertility in the context of their intimate partnerships. Background: Although we are beginning to understand that men experience the emotions of infertility acutely, little is known about how such emotions impact on men’s intimate partner relationships. Evidence suggests that infertility can impact intimate partner relationships (both positively and negatively) but there is a paucity of research around how men talk about such relationship impacts, and how they share their stories with other men. Men are often viewed as the silent supporting partner within infertility contexts, with women narrated as taking the burden within the relationship. Methodology: The paper draws on data from a general discussion board on an online men-only forum. Inductive thematic analysis was utilised to identify key themes across the men’s online posts. Results: Men’s posts demonstrate that infertility challenges relationships, and that men use the forum examined to offer each other advice on coping with infertility in their relationships. Men highlighted a sense of having less agency than their female partners in relation to infertility and that they were less able to access support for themselves as a result. Conclusion: We argue that infertility can be a challenging and complex time within intimate partner relationships and that men construct this situation with reference to gendered norms and constraints within their online accounts. Consideration of both parties in couples experiencing infertility is important for supporting relationships during any diagnosis and treatment processes for infertility.

Men’s experiences of infertility help seeking are under-researched and thus less widely understood than women’s experiences, with men’s needs for support often missing from reproductive research knowledge. This article presents a thematic analysis of peer-to-peer posts within the context of a UK men-only online infertility forum. The key themes demonstrate that men value male support from those with experience, and that masculinity influences help-seeking requests and men’s accounts more broadly. We highlight the value of such online communities in offering support to men in need while recognising the importance of further research across other online settings in order to inform practice around supporting men in the reproductive realm.

© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Construction remains a male-dominated industry and men in construction suffer high rates of illness and injury compared to other industries. Consideration of men and masculinities may support any attempt to maintain and promote the health and wellbeing of construction workers. This article discusses qualitative case study research conducted with stakeholders in the UK construction industry around health and wellbeing. Our thematic analysis highlights how masculinities operate to both inhibit and promote healthy practices. On the one hand, a culture of stoicism pertaining to illness or injury was evident, whilst a competitive ethos between occupational groups was observed to increase risk-taking and poor health choices. However, interviewees identified homosocial camaraderie and respect for lived experience as a means to promote positive health behaviour. Differences between younger and older generations of employees were noted. Overall, we argue that men's work and associated health practices can be understood as ‘rational’ individualized responses to structural deregulation and insecurity within the construction industry.

The reproductive realm is routinely viewed as a feminised space requiring women’s commitment and labour. By contrast, men’s procreative contributions and ‘reproductive masculinity’ is represented as unproblematic, with men assumed to be fertile across the lifespan. Recent scientific research has, however, cast doubt over these longstanding assumptions, suggesting that a link does exist between ‘lifestyle’ factors and male fertility. The notion that fertility can be improved with effort (for both women and men) can be located within wider cultural and political shifts which construct individuals as increasingly responsible for acting on health messages and engaging in self-disciplining body projects. Through an exploration of ‘lifestyle changes’ within a men’s online infertility discussion forum board, this paper examines how discourses of individualisation healthism and masculinity are reproduced and interlinked. Our thematic analysis indicates that ‘lifestyle work’ is construed as crucial for achieving conception - and as a means to demonstrate men’s commitment to the dyadic goal of parenthood, which in turn may challenge and extend previous notions of ‘reproductive masculinity’.

Men drink too much alcohol, eat unhealthy food and avoid going to the doctors until they are seriously ill. Indeed, some say being masculine is bad for men's health. But is the situation so simple? This deeply engaging book explores both the psychological and sociological factors that affect men and their health. It investigates how notions of 'maleness' impact on the individual's approach to health and take-up of services, and provides clear foundations for best practice in care. Part 1 of the book explores and sets the theoretical scene. It asks why disparate fields have not previously been brought together and what theoretical frameworks could be utilised to assist in this process. Parts 2 and 3 consider empirical work in relation to men, health and illness, providing critical rather than simply descriptive accounts. Bringing together an international collection of contributors, Men, Masculinities and Health provides fresh ideas for practice; creating a fertile terrain for future debate that will excite all those interested in gender issues.

Women's increasing alcohol consumption has come under intense scrutiny recently within the UK press and, as this paper will report, the coverage on the whole can be seen to present women who drink as problematic. Although feminist researchers have examined media constructions of gender, and although men's drinking has been the subject of critical analyses, there appears to be little feminist work on women's drinking per se. This is a significant omission, since gender representations around eating, drinking, or sex tend to draw upon conventional ideals around femininity (and masculinity) and as such invite feminist deconstruction. It is also necessary for feminists working in this area to examine critically scientific thinking on women's drinking, as media constructions and everyday understandings will inevitably be distilled from mainstream psychological “knowledge.” Indeed, science is often invoked in discourse to warrant particular constructions as legitimate or self-evident, as opposed to mere opinion.

More recent years have begun to see a shift in focus in academic writing towards the rather neglected topic of female aggression and violence (for example, Campbell, 1993, 1995; Burbank, 1994). Furthermore, some feminists have highlighted the benefits of drawing attention towards women’s aggression for feminist agendas (for example, Campbell, 1993; White and Kowalski, 1994). However, much of the existing work in this area situates women’s aggression in the context of normative heterosexual relationships and domestic domains, meaning that women’s aggression and violence in other (more public) contexts is often overlooked. This omission is puzzling now given that women are entering into more public domains and spaces which have historically been dominated by men (for example, Kua, 1994) and reports that most incidents where women report being attacked by other women take place in the context of pubs or clubs (Home Office, 1993). As such, this study examines women’s talk around aggression in the context of ‘nights out’. In sum, it is argued here that physical aggression can be understood as playing an important role in the construction of working-class femininities in ways that ‘make sense’ in local classed contexts, thus emphasizing the importance of contextual understandings of women’s aggression.

While Aotearoa/New Zealand is a world leader in the arena of family violence policy, it has a long history of violence between its Maori and Western inhabitants that continues to manifest in its policy-making structures. In this chapter, we shall introduce the Aotearoa/New Zealand cultural context and relate it to Kleinian psychoanalytic concepts (paranoid-schizoid position, splitting, idealization and introjection); describe a specific family violence policy called Te Rito before using Kleinian concepts to help us read this text. Finally, we shall critically reflect on the processes used in this chapter and explore implications of this analysis for family violence policy internationally.

© 2018, The Author(s) 2018. Objective: Men’s engagement in family planning has become part of the global health agenda; however, little is known about the training manuals health practitioners’ use and how these manuals describe and explain men’s roles within a family planning context. Design: To further understand engagement, this paper examines how training manuals written for health practitioners describe and define men’s participation within family planning. Setting: The training manuals were written for UK health practitioners and covered men’s contributions to family planning. Method: Discourse analysis was used to examine the three training manuals focused upon. Results: Three main discourses were identified: ‘contraception is a woman’s responsibility’, ‘men disengage with health practitioners’ and ‘men are biologically predisposed to avoid sexual responsibility’. Conclusion: Together, these three discourses function to marginalise men in family planning, constructing them as detached accessories that lack the ability to engage.

Food preferences, dieting practices and healthy eating are all interlinked and can be considered as socially constructed and gendered phenomena. As this chapter will discuss, men and women are thought to have different approaches to nutrition – although sex differences are often overstated and changing gender ideals suggest that the relationship between gender and food is complex, dynamic and context-bound. In this chapter, we look closely at ‘masculinity’ (or ‘masculinities’) and its important influence on men’s health generally and on nutrition specifically. We look beyond medical and psychological perspectives to social science theory and research of relevance to men’s food-related activities and highlight concepts which could inform recommendations for improving men’s engagement with healthy eating.

Karen Barad’s agential realism argues for an ‘onto-epistemological’ position where phenomena occur only during intra-actions with discursive and material apparatus. Applying agential realism to psychological phenomena has potential to overcome an often-met material/discursive divide within the discipline, unlocking important ethical and conceptual possibilities. Despite this, a Baradian approach has been dismissed as unworkable for psychologists due to its lack of explanation for experiential consistency. We re-butt this position while nonetheless noting that to fully realise Barad’s contributions, psychologists must open themselves to new ways of approaching their subjects. Three key tenets of a Baradian approach applied to psychological phenomena are outlined: 1. self-structure singularity 2. spatio-temporality and 3. playfulness and experimentation. Examples of Baradian-inspired qualitative research illustrate these tenets in action, highlighting how Baradian theory can transcend current conceptual and ethical limitations as psychological phenomena is viewed as continuously reconfigured through human-human and human-non-human intra-actions we all have responsibility for.

This paper reports on research examining how male pre-service primary school teachers negotiate masculinities during their time within majority-female spaces. Four white undergraduate pre-service teachers in the North of England, UK, who were training to teach children aged 5–11 years were recruited. Interviews took place pre-and-post their seven-week practicum within primary schools, relating to their experiences of masculinity within their course and practicum. Participants kept a solicited diary for the duration of the practicum. Using thematic analysis, we highlight how participants were both subject to and complicit in the (re)production of gendered stereotypes. Findings evidenced the participants’ awareness of gendered assumptions placed upon them; however, this did not necessarily predicate their rejection of such positions, suggesting male and female teachers share responsibility for largely maintaining current hegemonic constructions of masculinities within schools.

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Sexual bullying refers to bullying or harassment that is sexualised, related to sexuality, and/or related to gender expression (Duncan, 1999). Research on sexual bullying is disparate and still developing as a field. This study extends on this research through a mixed-methods analysis of the different forms of sexual bullying and the relationships between them across five European nations. Participants were 253 young people (aged 13-18) from Bulgaria, England, Italy, Latvia and Slovenia. As part of focus groups on sexual bullying, participants individually and anonymously completed a Sexual Bullying Questionnaire (SBQ), comprising closed- and open-ended questions about their experiences of victimisation and bullying their peers. Factor analysis identified five forms of sexual bullying victimisation and two forms of sexual bullying towards peers. The quantitative and qualitative findings indicated that bullying or harassment that is sexualised, related to sexuality, and/or related to gender expression are associated with each other. Further, sexual bullying was found to be common to all five European countries indicating that it is a cross-national issue. The associations between sexualised, sexuality and gender expression bullying or harassment support the use of the term sexual bullying to unite these forms of peer victimisation in research and practice. Further, all countries studied require initiatives to address sexual bullying, and the gender and sexual norms that may contribute to it, with tailoring to the country context.

Bullying has typically been defined and studied separately from other forms of gender- and sexuality-related harassment and violence such as dating and relationship violence and sexual harassment, arguably obscuring the complex interrelations between these phenomena. This article is based on an EU-funded project which explored young people’s understandings and experiences of sexual bullying (bullying related to gender and/or sexuality). Data collected via 41 focus groups with young men and women (N = 253) aged 13–18 across five European countries (Bulgaria, England, Italy, Latvia, Slovenia) were analysed using thematic analysis. Participants highlighted intersections between bullying, dating and relationship violence and sexual harassment. They also drew upon notions of consent to determine whether and when certain actions constituted bullying. We argue that applying this lens of consent to young people’s peer relationships illuminates the extent to which bullying (like other forms of gender- and sexuality-related harassment and violence) is culturally situated and embedded within hierarchical gendered power relations. We therefore advocate that Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and anti-bullying initiatives treat consent as a ‘common thread’ in discussing and challenging a range of gender- and sexuality-related forms of bullying and harassment within peer relationships.

© 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. We present an analysis of young masculinities based on young peoples’ perspectives derived from a project on sexual bullying. Our qualitative data are based on 41 focus groups with 253 young people (male and female) aged 13–18 across five European countries (Bulgaria, Italy, Latvia, Slovenia and England) as well as questionnaire responses. The data were analysed using thematic analysis (Braun, V., and V. Clarke. 2006. “Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology.” Qualitative Research in Psychology 3 (2): 77–101). Our analysis pointed to the prevalence of sexist and homophobic behaviours among young men, who were themselves concerned with their ‘masculine’ reputations by appearing physically tough, (hetero)sexually active and emotionally closed. The young women in our sample also depicted many young men as immature, naïve and superficial. At the same time, the young men were portrayed as more calm, rational and resilient compared to their female counterparts, with young men insisting that any ‘problematic’ or ‘bullying’ behaviour amounted to harmless fun. Our analysis suggests that young men are performing gender and sexuality under the influence of conventional norms which prioritise homosociality, humour and status, which shy away from challenging sexist or homophobic practices, and which inhibit reporting themselves as victims of bullying. The implications for young masculinities and social change are discussed.

This pilot study evaluated a body image intervention for men, Body Project M. Seventy-four British undergraduate men took part in two 90-min intervention sessions, and completed standardised assessments of body image, bulimic pathology, and related outcomes at baseline, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up. Fifty-three other men completed the questionnaires as an assessment-only control group. Per-protocol analysis showed that Body Project M improved men’s dissatisfaction with body fat and muscularity, body appreciation, muscularity enhancing behaviours, appearance comparisons, and internalization (ds = 0.46 - 0.80) at post-intervention. All except dissatisfaction with muscularity and internalization were sustained at 3-month follow-up. No effects were found for bulimic pathology. Post-intervention effects for dissatisfaction with muscularity and internalization only were retained under intention-to-treat analysis. Participants were favourable towards the intervention. This study provides preliminary evidence for the acceptability and post-intervention efficacy of Body Project M. Further development of the intervention is required to improve and sustain effects.

© 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group The lower reported prevalence of depression in men has been related to depression not being as well-recognised in men as it is in women. We sought to understand the clinical under-recognition of depression in men by reviewing some of the key evidence on male depression, concentrating on practices in the UK. Additionally, we aimed to draw conclusions that would contribute to the improvement of health promotion and of the diagnosis for male depression. Our perusal of the available evidence has revealed that some depressed men experience significant difficulties not only in disclosing but also in identifying their depression and that men often exhibit atypical symptoms such as anger. Furthermore, depressed men are often involved in attempts to self-manage their depressive symptoms. This stoic approach compromises the well-being of depressed men and it discourages them from accessing appropriate support resources. We conclude with suggestions for practice and research.

Objective: To examine men’s body dissatisfaction qualitatively. Design: Forty-two British men aged 18–45 years took part in a two-session group intervention across 12 groups. The intervention was designed to improve body dissatisfaction by engaging them in a critique of the appearance ideal through written and behavioural exercises. Main outcome measures/results: Analysis of the topics discussed during the intervention generated two core themes. Theme 1 showed that, in general, men minimised the existence of their own body dissatisfaction while (somewhat surprisingly) outlining the ubiquity and potency of the appearance ideal for men in general. Theme 2 involved men reporting the problematic impact of body dissatisfaction in their lives (despite earlier minimisation), such as social avoidance, strict eating and supplement regimes, or difficulty in situations where the body was exposed. Conclusion: The results stress the need to acknowledge that men experience a range of impacts of body dissatisfaction beyond clinical presentations (such as disordered eating) that influence their everyday lives, while also recognising that they tend to minimise this dissatisfaction in conversation. These findings have important implications for advocacy and interventions to improve men’s body dissatisfaction.

It has been postulated, but not empirically validated, that breast implants may cause a range of systemic symptoms, recently aggregated into a syndrome termed Breast Implant Illness (BII). Research literature has focused on exploring these symptoms and possible aetiologies, however, it has not been formally recognised as a medical condition. The psychosocial experience of women who self-report BII is not well understood. This review aimed to synthesise findings from qualitative literature relating to BII. A systematic review and evidence synthesis of qualitative research was conducted and analysed using thematic synthesis. Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, CINHAL, Scopus, PsycINFO and secondary sources. Findings from nine studies were included, representing the experiences of women who had breast implants for reconstructive and cosmetic reasons. Four themes were identified: the decline in women’s psychosocial wellbeing, the search for answers to their ill health, a lack of solicitude from healthcare professionals and industry, and surgery viewed as both the problem and solution. Women reported an array of distressing challenges that affected their overall quality of life. Findings highlight the need for psychosocial support and enhancing the integration of patient-entered perspectives. Further research is warranted to understand how these women can be better supported.

BACKGROUND: A growing number of people are living with comorbid dementia and cancer (CDC), and they are particularly likely to require support from family caregivers. Carers of people with CDC play a vital supportive role but have reported unmet support needs, including a lack of CDC-specific information resources and peer support. A targeted online peer support forum may provide an accessible way to help address unmet needs of carers of people with CDC. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the types and frequency of social support provided on an online peer support forum for caregivers of people with CDC, hosted by a dementia charity in the United Kingdom. METHODS: We conducted a mixed methods study using descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis. All posts (N=893) on the forum since its launch in November 2018 to April 2024 were exported into Microsoft Excel for analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to examine forum use and user characteristics. Deductive content analysis was conducted to explore the types and frequency of social support provided on the forum. Posts were analyzed according to an adapted version of Cutrona and Suhr's Social Support Behavior Code, consisting of 5 main categories of support: informational, emotional, esteem, network, and tangible. Coding was completed independently by 2 coders, and any coding disagreements were resolved by reaching a consensus through discussion. RESULTS: A total of 258 usernames posted on the forum since its inception. There were 893 posts; 583 (65.3%) were coded as providing social support. All 5 Social Support Behavior Code categories were present in the forum posts. Informational support was the most common type of social support provided on the forum, which mostly involved providing suggestions for caregiving and coping strategies and sharing personal experiences that provide CDC-specific knowledge or insight. This was followed by emotional support, which consisted mostly of expressing shared understanding and empathy for caregivers in their unique situation of CDC and providing expressions of care for the recipient's well-being. Esteem, network, and tangible support were less common, though they included providing validation and relief of blame to other caregivers, typically in decision-making regarding cancer treatment; reminding caregivers that others were available on the forum for support; and expressing willingness to answer questions about their CDC caregiving experience. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the use and value of a CDC-specific online forum as a source of social support for carers of people with CDC, facilitating users' access to CDC-specific information and peer support. The relatively new forum shows promise as a free and accessible resource that can contribute to addressing carers' informational and peer support needs.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether an innovative, inclusive and integrated 12-week exercise, behaviour change and nutrition advice-based weight management programme could significantly improve the cardiovascular risk factors of overweight and obese men and women over the age of 35. One hundred and ninety-four men and 98 women (mean age = 52.28 ± 9.74 and 51.19 ± 9.04) attending a community-based intervention delivered by Notts County Football in the Community over one year, took part in the study. Height (m), weight (kg), fitness (meters covered during a 6 min walk) and waist circumference (cm) were measured at weeks 1 and 12 as part of the intervention. Changes in body weight, waist circumference and fitness for men and women were measured by a 2-way repeated measures ANOVA, with significance set to p < 0.05.Weight, waist circumference and fitness significantly improved over time in both men (4.96 kg, 6.29 cm, 70.22 m; p < 0.05) and women (4.26 kg, 5.90 cm, 35.29 m; p < 0.05). The results demonstrated that the FITC lead weight loss intervention was successful in significantly improving cardiovascular risk factors in both men and women. In particular, the weight loss reductions achieved were comparable to those seen in similar, more costly men-only programmes. This is the first study to demonstrate the efficacy of such an intervention in an inclusive, mixed gender programme and more specifically, in women.

Objectives: Developing increased understanding of the specificities of young men’s body image-related experiences has been noted as a priority. While previous research has pointed to barriers to gaining authentic insight in this area, recent developments have indicated that providing explicit justification and validation for male discussion may offer increased willingness for engagement. The aim of this study was to explore young men’s personal accounts surrounding this topic; addressing the broad research question: ‘What do young men say about body image and appearance related issues?’. Design: Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with young men (N=13) aged 16-39 (M=27). Interviews centred on recent research evidence highlighting potential issues for men in relation to body image and appearance, as well as participant’s individual experiences; generating rich, qualitative data. Methods: Underpinned by a critical realist framework, data were analysed using discursively-informed thematic analysis. Results: Findings show that young men were happy to critically engage with the topic in this context, largely adopting a position of emancipatory agent. Analysis indicated that body dissatisfaction was considered both normative and problematic; requiring increased public debate. In addition, analysis highlighted the multiplicity of young men’s body-related concerns, including social expectations related to physicality, and perception of individual control. Furthermore, competing social discourses of masculinity currently available to young men were suggested to have increased body related discussion, whilst continuing to inhibit a genuine dialogue. Conclusions: Notably, the findings emphasise the role of masculinity in, and the specificity of, body image and appearance-related issues for young men.

Government agendas have highlighted the requirement for rapid investigation into the body image related experiences of young men, yet a suggested feminisation of body and appearance related topics, and a tendency for non-disclosure, continue to present obstacles to achieving this. However, previous research has indicated that online, anonymous contexts may present useful environments for circumnavigating these barriers. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore young men’s accounts in relation to body image and appearance related issues, using an anonymous online survey. Young men (N=114) ages 16-39 (M=26) took part in a qualitative survey comprising of eight open ended questions, and data were analysed using discursively-informed thematic analysis. Results indicated that the young men welcomed the opportunity to critically engage with the topic and disclose personal body ‘worries’; also revealing that in everyday contexts, discussion is habitually inhibited by social ideals of masculinity. In addition, whilst dominant body ideals were identified as largely unobtainable, they remained significant for physical self-appraisals, and a goal to aspire to. Results are discussed in relation to the potential health implications of negotiating competing discourses, as well as the requirement for increased male specific educational resources which challenge prevailing masculine discourses.

Associated with numerous adverse health outcomes, body dissatisfaction in young men requires close examination. This study explores online accounts relating to male body image, including young men’s personal disclosures within one online newspaper article, and posts responding to this topic. Discursively informed thematic analysis indicated that non-disclosure was considered a problematic social expectation by the young men featured in the article. Also, reader posts variously constructed body dissatisfaction as a symptom of adolescence, a lack of self-care and an incapacity to capitalise on compensatory qualities. Our analysis suggests young men may welcome safe opportunities to critically discuss prevailing body image ideals.

BACKGROUND: A growing number of people are living with comorbid dementia and cancer (CDC), and they are particularly likely to require support from family caregivers. Carers of people with CDC play a vital supportive role but have reported unmet support needs, including a lack of CDC-specific information resources and peer support. A targeted online peer support forum may provide an accessible way to help address unmet needs of carers of people with CDC. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the types and frequency of social support provided on an online peer support forum for caregivers of people with CDC, hosted by a dementia charity in the United Kingdom. METHODS: We conducted a mixed methods study using descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis. All posts (N=893) on the forum since its launch in November 2018 to April 2024 were exported into Microsoft Excel for analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to examine forum use and user characteristics. Deductive content analysis was conducted to explore the types and frequency of social support provided on the forum. Posts were analyzed according to an adapted version of Cutrona and Suhr's Social Support Behavior Code, consisting of 5 main categories of support: informational, emotional, esteem, network, and tangible. Coding was completed independently by 2 coders, and any coding disagreements were resolved by reaching a consensus through discussion. RESULTS: A total of 258 usernames posted on the forum since its inception. There were 893 posts; 583 (65.3%) were coded as providing social support. All 5 Social Support Behavior Code categories were present in the forum posts. Informational support was the most common type of social support provided on the forum, which mostly involved providing suggestions for caregiving and coping strategies and sharing personal experiences that provide CDC-specific knowledge or insight. This was followed by emotional support, which consisted mostly of expressing shared understanding and empathy for caregivers in their unique situation of CDC and providing expressions of care for the recipient's well-being. Esteem, network, and tangible support were less common, though they included providing validation and relief of blame to other caregivers, typically in decision-making regarding cancer treatment; reminding caregivers that others were available on the forum for support; and expressing willingness to answer questions about their CDC caregiving experience. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the use and value of a CDC-specific online forum as a source of social support for carers of people with CDC, facilitating users' access to CDC-specific information and peer support. The relatively new forum shows promise as a free and accessible resource that can contribute to addressing carers' informational and peer support needs.

Objective: Describe and synthesise existing published research on the experiences and support needs of informal caregivers of people with multimorbidity. Design: Scoping literature review. Primary database and secondary searches for qualitative and/or quantitative English-language research with an explicit focus on informal carers of people with multimorbidity (no date restrictions). Quality appraisal of included papers. Thematic analysis to identify key themes in the findings of included papers. Results: Thirty-four papers (reporting on 27 studies) were eligible for inclusion, the majority of which were rated good quality, and almost half of which were published from 2015 onwards. The review highlights common difficulties for informal carers of people with multiple chronic illnesses, including practical challenges related to managing multiple health care teams, appointments, medications and side effects, and psychosocial challenges including high levels of psychological symptomatology and reduced social connectedness. Current gaps in the literature include very few studies of interventions which may help support this caregiver group. Conclusion: Interest in this research area is burgeoning. Future work might fruitfully examine the potential benefits of audio-recorded health care consultations, and digitally-delivered psychosocial interventions such as online peer support forums, for supporting and enhancing the caring activities and wellbeing of this caregiver group.

Background: Family carers of people living with comorbid dementia and cancer (CDC) play a vital supportive role, but this may be particularly burdensome and adversely impact their own health and wellbeing. Objective: To examine the experiences and psychosocial support needs of caregivers of people with CDC. Methods: A flyer advertising the study was distributed to relevant UK voluntary sector organisations and shared across social media. 13 carers of people with CDC were recruited. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted and transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, underpinned by an inductive phenomenological approach. Results: Complex interactions of dementia and cancer resulted in heightened responsibility for carers, who played a crucial role in recognition/management of symptoms, performing difficult cancer-related care, and treatment decision-making that posed difficult ethical challenges. Care-recipients had reduced insight into their cancer diagnosis and prognosis, so carers often carried the emotional burden alone. Responsibilities faced by carers were compounded by a lack of targeted, accessible information/support for CDC. Carers expressed a desire to talk to and learn from others who understand the unique challenges of navigating cancer-related decision-making, treatment and care for people who are also living with dementia. Conclusions: Cancer alongside dementia presents complex challenges for carers, who desire more cancer-related information and support which is tailored to people living with dementia and their family caregivers.

In May 2014 the Movember Foundation commissioned the Centre for Men’s Health, Leeds Beckett University, in collaboration with the Men’s Health Forum (England & Wales), to gather the current research evidence and practical (‘tacit’) knowledge about the core elements that make for successful work with boys and men around mental health promotion, early intervention and stigma reduction.

There remains significant concern about men’s mental health, particularly in terms of personal and societal barriers to help-seeking, negative coping mechanisms and high suicide rates. This paper presents findings from a multi-phase study looking at ‘what works’ in mental health promotion for men. Work here reports the collection and analysis of the tacit knowledge of those working within mental health promotion interventions for men. A ‘multiple hub and spoke’ approach was used to assist data collection. Thirteen key players, active in the men’s mental health field, half from the UK and half beyond, formed an Investigative Network collecting data, mainly through interviews, from wider geographical and professional community contexts where they had networks. The focus of data collection was on ‘what works’ in mental health promotion for men. Data was analysed using thematic analysis techniques. Findings suggest that settings which created safe male spaces acted to promote trust, reduce stigma and normalise men’s engagement in interventions. Embedding interventions within the communities of men being engaged, fully involving these men, and holding ‘male-positive’ values engendered familiarity and consolidated trust. Using ‘male-sensitive’ language and activity-based approaches allowed for positive expressions of emotions, facilitated social engagement, and provided a base for open communication. Appropriate partnerships were also seen as a necessary requirement for success and as crucial for maximising intervention impact. The importance of gender and ‘masculinity’ was apparent throughout these findings and taking time to understand gender could facilitate positive ways of working alongside men, increasing levels of engagement and successful outcomes.