Perspectives in Male Psychology E-Book

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Bildung
• Serie: BPS Textbooks in Psychology
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 767

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

PERSPECTIVES IN MALE PSYCHOLOGY Discover a balanced perspective on men's psychology in this accessible new resource Male psychology is a new field within the discipline of psychology, which focuses on men and boys. Male psychology moves us towards a more scientific and balanced understanding of the -psychology of men and of boys, drawing on a range of perspectives, and away from an overreliance on social constructionism and preoccupations with notions such as patriarchy and privilege, too often seen in the narrative about men. In Perspectives in Male Psychology: An Introduction, two of the most prominent authors in this new field, Louise Liddon and John Barry, introduce and deliver an insightful exploration of some of today's most hotly contested issues regarding men and masculinity. This book puts forward a balanced perspective that has been missing from academic and media narratives around topics such as child development, education, sport and exercise, the workplace, crime, the military, health and wellbeing, mental health, therapy, masculinity, and sex differences, and considers the role that evolution, biology, and culture play in shaping male behavior. This book will also help readers to better understand some key issues such as: * Why there are controversies around sex differences research * How bias in research has led to a distorted view of the psychology of men and boys * The ways in which the mental health and other needs of men and boys are routinely overlooked In turn this helps us ask some important questions such as: * If there are more similarities than differences between men and women, does that mean the differences are unimportant? * How can we un-distort our understanding of men and masculinity? * What are the best ways of identifying and meeting the psychological needs of men and boys? Readers, whether students or lecturers, will also benefit from the inclusion of our companion Wiley website containing additional resources to support the development of knowledge and understanding of male psychology. Perfect for undergraduate and graduate students in psychology, medicine, and sociology, as well as established professionals in these and related fields, Perspectives in Male Psychology: An Introduction will also earn a place in the libraries of anyone interested in the psychology of sex and gender differences in various aspects of mental health and human behaviour.

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Perspectives in Male Psychology

An Introduction

LOUISE LIDDON & JOHN A. BARRY

This edition first published 2021 © 2021 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by law. Advice on how to obtain permission to reuse material from this title is available at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

The right of Louise Liddon and John A. Barry to be identified as the author(s) of this work has been asserted in accordance with law.

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The contents of this work are intended to further general scientific research, understanding, and discussion only and are not intended and should not be relied upon as recommending or promoting scientific method, diagnosis, or treatment by physicians for any particular patient. In view of ongoing research, equipment modifications, changes in governmental regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to the use of medicines, equipment, and devices, the reader is urged to review and evaluate the information provided in the package insert or instructions for each medicine, equipment, or device for, among other things, any changes in the instructions or indication of usage and for added warnings and precautions. While the publisher and authors have used their best efforts in preparing this work, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives, written sales materials or promotional statements for this work. The fact that an organization, website, or product is referred to in this work as a citation and/or potential source of further information does not mean that the publisher and authors endorse the information or services the organization, website, or product may provide or recommendations it may make. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a specialist where appropriate. Further, readers should be aware that websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. Neither the publisher nor authors shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Liddon, Louise, author. | Barry, John A. (Honorary lecturer in psychology), author. | John Wiley & Sons, publisher.

Title: Perspectives in male psychology : a scientific and humanistic approach / Louise Liddon, John A.Barry.

Description: Hoboken, NJ : John Wiley & Sons, [2021] | Series: BPS textbooks in psychology | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020043051 (print) | LCCN 2020043052 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119685357 (paperback) | ISBN 9781119685364 (pdf ) | ISBN 9781119684930 (epub) | ISBN 9781119685340 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Men--Psychology. | Masculinity.

Classification: LCC BF692.5 .L54 2021 (print) | LCC BF692.5 (ebook) | DDC 155.3/32--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020043051

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020043052

Cover image: © Boris25/Getty Images

Cover design by Wiley

Set in 11/12.5pt Dante MT Std by Integra Software Services Pvt. Ltd, Pondicherry, India

For our baby son Thomas, and to everyone who has wanted more for men and boys than has been available from the field of psychology in recent decades.

Brief Contents

List of Figures and Tables

List of Abbreviations

Series Preface

Preface

Acknowledgements

About the Authors

PART 1: AN INTRODUCTION TO PERSPECTIVES IN MALE PSYCHOLOGY

Chapter 1: How to Use This Book Effectively

Part 2: An Introduction to Male Psychology

Chapter 2: Male Psychology: An Introduction

Chapter 3: Studying Sex and Gender Differences: An Introduction

Part 3 Male Psychology and …

Chapter 4: Child Development

Chapter 5: Education

Chapter 6: Sport and Exercise

Chapter 7: The Workplace

Chapter 8: Forensics and Crime

Chapter 9: The Military

Chapter 10: Health and Wellbeing

Chapter 11: Mental Health, Therapy and Support Services

Chapter 12: Regarding Masculinity

Part 4: Concluding Remarks and Final Thoughts

Chapter 13: Conclusion

References

Index

Contents

Cover

Series page

Title page

Copyright

Dedication

Brief Contents

List of Figures and Tables

List of Abbreviations

Series Preface

Preface

Acknowledgements

About the Authors

PART 1: AN INTRODUCTION TO PERSPECTIVES IN MALE PSYCHOLOGY

Chapter 1: How to Use This Book Effectively

1.1

Introduction

1.2

Book Structure and Content

1.2.1

Book Structure

1.2.2

Book Content

1.2.3

Readability of Content

1.3

Chapter Structure and Content

1.4

Opportunities for Reflection and Learning (Online Only)

1.5

Responsible use of Book Material

1.6

Self-Care

1.7

Concluding Remarks

Part 2: An Introduction to Male Psychology

Chapter 2: Male Psychology: An Introduction

2.1

Introduction

2.2

What is Male Psychology?

2.3

Origins of Male Psychology

2.4

Foundations of Male Psychology

2.4.1

Male Psychology Recognises that Sex and Gender Differences Exist to Varying Degrees

2.4.2

Male Psychology is Ethical and Respectful

2.4.3

Male Psychology Recognises the Complexity of the Human Condition and Takes a Holistic Approach

2.4.4

Comment on Intersectionality

2.4.5

Comment on Identity Politics

2.4.6

Male Psychology is Evidence-Based

2.5

Why Study Male Psychology?

2.5.1

Male Psychology Offers a New Way of Looking at Sex and Gender

2.5.2

Male Psychology Values Practical Solutions

2.5.3

Male Psychology is Relevant to a Range of Careers

2.5.4

Male Psychology Makes Common Sense

2.5.5

Male Psychology Brings a New Perspective

2.6

What do Psychologists Generally Mean by Perspectives

2.7

Concluding Remarks

2.8

Summary

Chapter 3: Studying Sex and Gender Differences: An Introduction

3.1

Introduction

3.2

Defining Sex and Gender

3.2.1

What is Meant by a Person’s Sex?

3.2.2

What is Meant by a Person’s Gender?

3.3

The Relationship Between Sex and Gender

3.3.1

Embodiment: Biology Experiencing Culture

3.3.2

Is it Nature or Nurture… or Both?

3.3.3

Masculine Females and Feminine Males

3.3.4

Cultural and Historical Variations on Gender

3.3.5

A Complex Biopsychosocial Picture

3.4

Sex/Gender Similarities and Sex/Gender Differences

3.4.1

Sex Differences Versus Gender Differences

3.4.2

Differences are Based on Averages

3.4.3

Statistics are not Moral Judgements

3.4.4

Benefits of Studying Sex/Gender Differences

3.4.5

Small but Significant Differences

3.4.6

Danger of a ‘One-Size-Fits-All’ Approach to Research

3.5

Evolutionary and Sociocultural Explanations For Sex/Gender Differences

3.5.1

An Evolutionary Perspective on Male Psychology

3.5.2

Sex Differences are International

3.5.3

Sex Roles Influenced by Biology and Culture

3.5.4

Archetypes and Stereotypes

3.6

Controversies in Sex Differences Research

3.6.1

Reluctance to Recognise Sex/Gender Differences

3.6.2

If Men and Women are so Similar, do we Need Sex Differences Research?

3.6.3

‘The Future of Sex and Gender in Psychology’?

3.7

Men and Masculinity

3.7.1

What is a Man?

3.7.2

Sex Differences are Found Internationally

3.8

Concluding Remarks

3.9

Summary

Part 3 Male Psychology and …

Chapter 4: Child Development

4.1

Introduction

4.2

Boys’ Play Styles and Toy Preferences

4.2.1

Impact of The Environment on Toy Preference

4.2.2

Influence of Biology on Toy Preference

4.2.3

Evidence from Evolution: Monkeys Show a Sex Difference in Play Behaviour

4.3

Developmental Differences and Vulnerabilities in Boys

4.3.1

Language and Memory

4.3.2

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

4.3.3

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

4.4

Factors that Influence Delinquency and Mental Health

4.4.1

Sex Difference in Attachment

4.4.2

Adverse or Difficult Childhood Environments

4.4.3

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

4.4.4

Family Environment and Delinquency

4.4.5

Violence from Parents

4.4.6

Importance of Mothers

4.4.7

Importance of Fathers in Preventing Delinquency

4.5

Importance of Including Fathers

4.5.1

Importance of the Role of Fathers

4.5.2

Sex Difference in Parenting Style, and Emotional Regulation

4.5.3

Biological Fathers vs Stepfathers

4.5.4

Involuntary Childlessness

4.6

The Negative Discourse on Masculinity

4.6.1

What is it Like Growing up in a Culture that Distrusts Masculinity?

4.6.2

Are Boys Affected by the Narrative about ‘Toxic Masculinity’?

4.6.3

Relationship Formation in the Twenty-First Century

4.7

Concluding Remarks

4.8

Summary

5 Chapter Education

5.1

Introduction

5.2

Why are Boys Falling Behind Girls in School?

5.2.1

Boys Spend Less Time on Homework

5.2.2

Boys are Less Inclined to Seek Help

5.2.3

Special Educational Needs are More Common in Boys

5.2.4

Maltreatment and Academic Achievement

5.3

Mathematics vs Reading

5.3.1

Does the Sex Difference in Academic Ability Vary by Culture?

5.3.2

Stereotype Threat and Mathematics

5.3.3

Stereotypes and Bias Against Boys in Education

5.3.4

Do Boys’ Grades Improve by Having Male Teachers?

5.4

What Happens to Boys Who Drop out of Education?

5.4.1

Dropping Out of University

5.4.2

‘Failure to Launch’

5.4.3

Autism and Homelessness Men

5.5

Education and Training About Sex and Gender Differences

5.5.1

Criticism of Gender Studies as Unscientific

5.5.2

Training for Interventions with Men and Boys

5.6

What can be Done to Prevent Boys From Falling Behind in Education?

5.6.1

Overcoming Biases will Help Boys

5.7

Concluding Remarks

5.8

Summary

Chapter 6: Sport and Exercise

6.1

Introduction

6.2

Sex Differences in Sports Interest and Participation

6.2.1

Evidence of Sex Differences in Interest in Sports

6.2.2

Evidence of Sex Differences in Competitiveness and Risk-Taking

6.3

Explanations for Sex Differences in Sport

6.3.1

Biological Explanation for Sex Differences in Sport

6.3.2

Evolutionary Explanation for Sex Differences in Sport

6.3.3

Influence of Socialisation on Sporting Interest

6.3.4

Biases in Presenting Gender Differences in Sports

6.4

Making Sense of Sex-Segregation in Sports

6.4.1

Sex-Segregation: The Basics

6.4.2

Should we have Sex Segregation in Sports?

6.4.3

Closing the Sex Difference Performance Gap

6.5

Performance Issues

6.5.1

Yips and Choking

6.5.2

Homophobic Chanting in Football

6.5.3

Paradoxical Performance

6.6

Sport and Exercise for Mental and Social Wellbeing

6.6.1

Wellbeing Benefits of Being a Sports Fan

6.6.2

Wellbeing Benefits of Exercise

6.6.3

Engaging Men’s Mental Health Through Sport and Exercise

6.7

Concluding Remarks

6.8

Summary

Chapter 7: The Workplace

7.1

Introduction

7.2

Sex Differences in Occupations

7.2.1

Male/Female-Dominated Fields

7.2.2

Why do Men not Enter Female-Dominated Fields?

7.2.3

Why are There More Men Than Women in Non-organic STEM Fields?

7.3

Sex Differences Impacting Occupational Choices

7.3.1

Sex Differences in Jobs Related to Things or People

7.3.2

Differences in Leadership

7.4

Unconscious Bias in the Workplace

7.4.1

Criticisms of the Implicit Association Test (IAT)

7.4.2

Understanding Unconscious Bias in the Real World

7.5

Unconscious Bias Against Men in the Workplace

7.5.1

The Expansion of Gender Equality Schemes

7.5.2

Unconscious Bias Against Women, or Conscious Bias Against Men?

7.5.3

Are Men Exploited in the Workplace?

7.5.4

The Gender Pay Gap

7.6

Wellbeing in the Workplace

7.6.1

The Changing Face of the Workplace

7.6.2

The Relationship Between Men, Work and Mental Wellbeing

7.6.3

Banter in the Workplace

7.6.4

Bullying in the Workplace: are Women More Likely to be Victims and Men Bullies?

7.7

Concluding Remarks

7.8

Summary

Chapter 8: Forensics and Crime

8.1

Introduction

8.2

Sex/gender Differences in Crimes

8.2.1

A Minority of Men Commit the Majority of Crime

8.2.2

Violence and Gender

8.2.3

Gender and Types of Crimes

8.2.4

Indirect Aggression

8.2.5

Slow Violence: Recognising Subtle forms of Violence

8.3

Causes of Male Criminality

8.3.1

Gendered Crime Across the Lifespan

8.3.2

Impact of Nature vs Nurture

8.3.3

Sex Differences in Onset and Life Course of Criminality

8.3.4

Evolutionary and Genetic Explanations

8.3.5

Sex Difference in how Trauma Causes Delinquency

8.3.6

Lifespan Approach: Causes and Consequences

8.4

Crime Research: Challenging the Gendered Approach

8.4.1

Generational Changes in Sexual Aggression

8.4.2

Physical Abuse is More Likely to Create Violent Boys than Violent Girls

8.4.3

Understanding Gamma Bias in the Context of Crime

8.5

Victims’ Perspective: Barriers to Seeking help

8.5.1

Help-Seeking in Domestic Violence

8.5.2

Help-Seeking for Male Rape Victims

8.6

Crime Reduction Strategies

8.6.1

Intervene at an Early Age

8.6.2

Involve Mothers

8.6.3

Involve Fathers

8.6.4

Mentoring

8.6.5

Creating a Stable Family Background

8.6.6

Sentencing

8.6.7

Male-Friendly Therapy for Prisoners

8.6.8

Politics

8.7

Concluding Remarks

8.8

Summary

Chapter 9: The Military

9.1

Introduction

9.2

Warfare

9.2.1

Information Warfare

9.2.2

Psychological Operations (PsyOps)

9.2.3

Propaganda and Fake News

9.3

Mental Health Problems and Trauma Responses to Military Service

9.3.1

Research into Mental Health in the Military

9.3.2

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

9.3.3

Drone Pilots and Moral Injury

9.3.4

Who is Vulnerable to Mental Health Problems in the Military?

9.4

Help-Seeking

9.4.1

Obstacles to Help-Seeking in the Military

9.4.2

‘Hard-to-Reach’ Men and Survivorship Bias

9.5

Interventions for Veterans

9.5.1

Male-Friendly Approaches to Therapy with Veterans

9.5.2

Drama-Based Interventions

9.5.3

The Veterans’ Stabilization Programme

9.5.4

Alternatives to Psychological Therapy

9.5.5

Helping Veterans with Hearing Loss and Tinnitus can Improve Mental Health

9.6

Positives of Military Psychology

9.6.1

Applications of Military Psychology to Everyday Life

9.6.2

Therapy Working with the Grain of Military Masculinity

9.6.3

A Fresh Start

9.6.4

Military Life can be Good for Mental Health

9.7

Concluding remarks

9.8

Summary

Chapter 10: Health and Wellbeing

10.1

Introduction

10.2

Reproductive Health and Wellbeing

10.2.1

Male Infertility

10.2.2

Low Testosterone, Fertility Problems and Loss

10.2.3

BPA and Endocrine Disruptors

10.2.4

Erectile Dysfunction

10.2.5

Prostate Cancer and Mental Health

10.3

Men’s Health Behaviours and Masculinity

10.3.1

Hegemonic Masculinity and Health Behaviour

10.3.2

Men’s Masculinity Bad, Women’s Masculinity Good?

10.3.3

Is Masculinity Bad for Health Behaviour?

10.3.4

Masculinity can be Good for Health

10.3.5

Traumatic Brain Injury, Coping and Masculinity

10.4

Health Research

10.4.1

Should We Measure Sex and Gender in Health Research?

10.4.2

‘Male Bias’ in Clinical Trials

10.4.3

Have Men Been Unfairly Favoured in Clinical Trials?

10.4.4

Gender and the ‘Health Paradox’

10.5

Health Services and Public Health

10.5.1

Healthcare Practitioners

10.5.2

Sex of the Doctor

10.5.3

Men’s Health and Self-Management

10.6

Health Promotion and Help-Seeking

10.6.1

Sex Differences in Food Preference

10.6.2

Family Meals & Nutrition

10.7

Concluding Remarks

10.8

Summary

Chapter 11: Mental Health, Therapy and Support Services

11.1

Introduction

11.2

Male Typical Presentation of Mental Health Issues

11.2.1

Is Male Depression Different to Female Depression?

11.2.2

Substance Abuse

11.2.3

Interventions for Rough Sleepers

11.3

Suicide and Men

11.3.1

The Gender Paradox in Suicide

11.3.2

Causes of Suicide

11.3.3

Relationship Between Masculinity, Mental Health and Suicide

11.3.4

Relationship Between Shame and Suicide

11.3.5

Women and Shame

11.3.6

Suicide Prevention

11.4

Therapies: Can we do Better?

11.4.1

Therapy is Feminised

11.4.2

Therapy for Men: Survey of APA Psychologists

11.4.3

What is the Critical Perspective on Traditional Gender Roles?

11.4.4

The APA Guidelines on Therapy for Boys and Men

11.4.5

Impact on the Therapeutic Alliance

11.5

Male Help-Seeking and Mental Health Issues

11.5.1

Masculinity and Help-Seeking For Mental Health

11.5.2

The Impact of Stigma

11.5.3

Improving Help-Seeking in Men

11.5.4

Impact of Men’s Mental Health in the Media

11.5.5

Negative Experiences of ‘Opening Up’

11.5.6

Help-Seeking and Victim-Blaming

11.5.7

‘Hard-to-Reach’ Men

11.6

Male-Friendly Therapies for Psychological and Emotional Wellbeing

11.6.1

What is a Male-Friendly Therapy?

11.6.2

Recognising and Valuing Different Coping Strategies

11.6.3

Interventions for Men’s Mental Health Outside the Therapy Room

11.7

Concluding Remarks

11.8

Summary

Chapter 12: Regarding Masculinity

12.1

Introduction

12.1.1

Do Men Want to Talk About Masculinity?

12.2

What Does Sociology Say?

12.2.1

Hegemonic Masculinity

12.2.2

Masculinities

12.2.3

Critical Perspective on Masculinity

12.3

What Does Psychology Say?

12.3.1

The Social Constructionist View

12.3.2

Masculinity, Health and Age

12.3.3

Cross-Cultural Studies of Masculinity

12.3.4

Are Homophobia and Misogyny Aspects of Masculinity?

12.3.5

Toxic Masculinity

12.3.6

Masculinity as an Evolved Part of Human Nature

12.3.7

Masculinity: The Social Construction of a Stereotype

12.4

What does government say?

12.4.1

Political Bias

12.4.2

The United Nations

12.4.3

Measuring Gender Equality

12.4.4

What Does the Healthcare Industry Say?

12.5

What does WESTERN media and POPULAR culture say?

12.5.1

Masculinity and the Media

12.5.2

Masculinity and Popular Culture

12.6

Is masculinity useful?

12.6.1

Barriers/Obstacles to Help-Seeking

12.6.2

Should we be More Positive About Masculinity?

12.6.3

Rethinking Stoicism

12.6.4

Masculinity in Men Who Commit Crime

12.6.5

Is Masculinity a Useful Concept in Psychology?

12.7

Concluding Remarks

12.8

Summary

Part 4: Concluding Remarks and Final Thoughts

Chapter 13: Conclusion

13.1

Introduction

13.2

Key Themes in Male Psychology

13.2.1

Theme: Unintended Consequences

13.2.2

Theme: Nature vs Nurture Debate

13.2.3

Theme: Help-Seeking

13.2.4

Theme: Research and Methodology

13.2.5

Theme: Cognitive Bias and Research Bias

13.3

Male Psychology: a Systems Approach

13.3.1

Social-Ecological Model of Male Psychology

13.4

Recommendations

13.5

Final thoughts

References

Index

End User License Agreement

List of Tables

Chapter 7

Table 7.1 Gender pay gap, illustrating Simpson’s paradox

Table 7.2 Bias against hiring men in STEM

Chapter 11

Table 11.1 Comparison of two measures of depression, one for general use in...

Chapter 13

Table 13.1 Examples of male psychology within different levels of the eco...

List of Illustrations

Chapter 8

Figure 8.1 Description of sex differences in the factors that influence...

Figure 8.2 Gamma bias in the interpretation of behavioural warning sign...

Chapter 11

Figure 11.1 Suicide rates across the lifespan, with sex differences

Figure 11.2 Graffitied billboard. The advertising campaign was by the US...

Figure 11.3 Elements that help to make a therapy more male-friendly

Chapter 12

Figure 12.1 Psychological hurdles to psychological therapy for men

Figure 12.2 An illustration of the hypothesis that there is an optimum l...

Chapter 13

Figure 13.1 Themes around research and methodology in the present book

Figure 13.2 An ecological model of male psychology

Guide

Cover

BPS Textbooks in Psychology

Title page

Copyright

Dedication

Breif Contents

Table of Contents

List of Figures and Tables

List of Abbreviations

Series Preface

Preface

Acknowledgements

About the Authors

Begin Reading

References

Index

End User License Agreement

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List of Figures and Tables

Figure 8.1 Description of sex differences in the factors that influence criminality over the lifespan

Figure 8.2 Gamma bias in the interpretation of behavioural warning signs of child sexual exploitation (CSE)

Figure 11.1 Suicide rates across the lifespan, with sex differences

Figure 11.2 Graffitied billboard. The advertising campaign was by the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, designed to reduce male suicide by encouraging men to seek help

Figure 11.3 Elements that help to make a therapy more male-friendly

Figure 12.1 Psychological hurdles to psychological therapy for men

Figure 12.2 An illustration of the hypothesis that there is an optimum level of effort for successfully controlling one’s feelings

Figure 13.1 Themes around research and methodology in the present book

Figure 13.2 An ecological model of male psychology

Table 7.1 Gender pay gap, illustrating Simpson’s paradox

Table 7.2 Bias against hiring men in STEM

Table 11.1 Comparison of two measures of depression, one for general use in detecting perinatal depression (EPDS) and another sensitive to ‘male depression’

Table 13.1 Examples of male psychology within different levels of the ecological system

List of Abbreviations

ABGT

Action-Based Group Therapy

ACEs

Adverse Childhood Experiences

ACS

Acute Coronary Syndrome

ACT

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

ADT

Androgen Deprivation Therapy

AFVBC

Armed Forces and Veterans’ Breakfast Clubs

AHSSBL

Arts, Humanities, Social Science, Business and Law

APA

American Psychological Society

APD

Auditory Processing Disorder

APS

Australian Psychological Society

AS

Asperger Syndrome

ASD

Autism Spectrum Disorder

ASPD

Antisocial Personality Disorder

ASRM

American Society for Reproductive Medicine

ASVAB

Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery

ATPF

All to Play for Football

BBC

British Broadcasting Corporation

BCT

Behaviour Change Technique

BDI

Beck Depression Inventory

BIGI

Basic Indicator of Gender Inequality

BMA

British Medical Association

BPA

Bisphenol A

BPS

British Psychological Society

BSRI

BEM Sex Role Inventory

CALM

Campaign Against Living Miserably

CAT

Cognitive Analytic Therapy

CBT

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

CCTV

Closed-Circuit Television

CFT

Compassion Focused Therapy

CJS

Criminal Justice System

CMD

Common Mental Disorders

CMI

Chartered Management Institute

CPT

Cognitive Processing Therapy

CSA

Child Support Agency

CVD

Cardiovascular Disease

DCMH

Departments of Community

Mental Health

DMS

Defence Medical Services

DoD

Department of Defense

DOE

Department for Education

DSM

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

DV

Domestic Violence

EAP

Employee Assistance Programmes

ED

Erectile Dysfunction

EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing

EPDS

Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale

ET

Existential Perspective

EUPD

Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder

FASO

False Allegations Support Organisation

FDA

Food and Drug Administration

FIFA

Fédération Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Association Football)

FSH

Follicle Stimulating Hormone

GGGI

Global Gender Gap Index

GIGO

‘Garbage In, Garbage Out’

GS

Gender Studies

HEED

Healthcare, Early Education and Domestic Jobs

HESA

Higher Education Statistics Agency

HIV

Human Immunodeficiency Virus

HRQOL

Health-Related Quality Of Life

HSE

Health and Safety Executive

IAT

Implicit Association Test

ICD

International Classification of Disease

IPA

Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis

IPV

Intimate Partner Violence

IPVA

Interpersonal Violence and Abuse

IT

Information Technology

LTC

Long-Term Condition

MACE

Major Adverse Cardiac Events

MDRS

Male Depression Risk Scale

MOD

Ministry of Defence

MPN

Male Psychology Network

MRA

Men’s Rights Activist

MRI

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

MRNI

Male Role Norms Inventory

NHS

National Health Service

NICHD

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

NIMH

National Institute of Mental Health

ONS

Office for National Statistics

PCB

Polychlorinated biphenyls 15

PCOS

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

PE

Prolonged Exposure Therapy

PhD

Doctor of Philosophy

PHE

Public Health England

PHQ-2

Patient Health Questionnaire-2

PMI

Positive Mindset Index

PND

Postnatal Depression

PPPM

Positive Psychology/Positive Masculinity

PSA

Prostate-Specific Antigen

PSYOPS

Psychological Operations

PTMF

Power Threat Meaning Framework

PTSD

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

RAF

Royal Air Force

RCT

Randomised Controlled Trial

REBT

Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy

SAHD

Stay-At-Home Dads

SARS

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

SD

Standard Deviation

SEM

Structural Equation Modelling

SEN

Special Educational Needs

STE

Science, Technology and Engineering

STEM

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

TBI

Traumatic Brain Injury

TIMSS

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study

TMGS

Traditional Male Gender Script

TPB

Theory of Planned Behaviour

TV

Television

UAV

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

UEFA

Union of European Football Associations

UK

United Kingdom

UN

United Nations

UNESCO

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

US/USA

United States of America

VA

Veteran Affairs

VTP

Veterans’ Transition Programme

WBEA

Wellbeing Benefits of Everyday Activities Scale

WHO

World Health Organization

Series Preface

Since the beginnings of psychology – the scientific study of the mind and behaviour – men, women and animals have been the subjects of theory, practice and research. It is only very recently that the psychology of men has become a formal branch of study.

Psychology is one of the most popular undergraduate degrees in many countries, e.g. the fourth most popular in the US and the second most popular in the UK. In other parts of the world psychology has become increasingly popular, e.g. in Turkey the number of psychology departments at universities increased from around 300 in 1986 to nearly 5000 by 2013 (Reddy et al., 2014).

An undergraduate degree in psychology not only reveals fascinating insights into why people behave the way we do, but also teaches students very transferable skills in numeracy, literacy and communication. Typically, most psychology students graduate into employment in a variety of areas. In most countries only a minority go on to train as professional psychologists, which involves further training at masters or doctoral degree level.

Psychology overlaps with other fields in the social sciences and humanities, as well as healthcare and statistics. There is even some overlap with the arts, e.g. poetry and literature (Kipling’s poem If— in SPOTLIGHT box 12.4), television (The Sopranos in Section 11.5.4) and other aspects of popular culture (Section 12.5.2), making it a fascinating area of interest to so many people.

Male psychology is a dynamic and much needed new field focusing on the psychology of men and boys. It brings a more humanistic and scientific approach to the study of the psychology of men and boys than has been seen in recent decades when, for example, masculinity has been depicted, controversially, as homophobic and misogynistic.

Perspectives in Male Psychology: An Introduction is the first in a series of textbooks exploring the various facets of this complex field. These books will rely on the usual standards of psychology as a science to explore the key areas in which the uniqueness of men is discovered. Each book in the series will be written by one or more leading experts in the field, and include not only the latest in research in male psychology but also reassessments of previous research through a male psychology lens where required. The books are structured so they can be used as teaching and training resources, but they will also be stimulating for the layperson and undergraduate. The overall aim is to create a series of books that inform and stimulate further interest in this topic. Given the prominent interest in sex and gender as well as the growing interest in men’s mental health in the modern world, I hope these are timely and helpful books.

Dr John Barry,

Honorary Lecturer in Psychology, University College London (UCL)

Series Editor, 2020

Preface

A lot has started happening in the world of male psychology in recent times. We are really pleased that you want to find out more and are joining us in exploring the psychology of men and boys from a fresh perspective.

This book came into being as the result of conversations with psychologists at conferences and public lectures. Although I (JB) initially saw male psychology as primarily a mental health topic, it soon became apparent that the core issues in male psychology were themes that recurred in several areas of psychology. For example, I was presenting research on the specific needs of men in therapy, and one of the findings was that men tended to want to just fix their problems, whereas women wanted to explore their feelings about the problem. A neurologist specialising in traumatic brain injury said this resonated exactly with what she saw in the sex difference in the recovery of her clients – all patients wanted to get their life back on track, but the female clients were more inclined to talk about their feelings during the process, whereas the men mostly wanted to get themselves fixed.

We soon found that other psychologists, specialising in sports, the military and education, identified with what we were saying about male psychology. Across different topic areas, male psychology was an ‘aha’ moment for many, and it became apparent that male psychology was the hub at the centre of a Venn diagram, connecting the various topic areas of psychology (not unlike the cover of this book). Drawing these connections together in a single book seemed like a sensible way to answer the questions people started asking us.

Because the topic was gaining as much interest outside of psychology as within, it made sense to make the book accessible to professionals outside psychology (e.g. counsellors, coaches) and people working in a variety of related fields (e.g. volunteers and workers in charities dealing with men). In fact, we were finding that many non-psychologists were more informed about men’s psychology than were many psychologists, having gained insights from working in the various charities that support men’s mental health, or in some cases being users of these services. Many of these non-professionals are volunteers with limited income, and the black-and-white illustrations in this book are part of the effort to ensure that cost was not too much of an obstacle to finding out about male psychology.

In researching this book we (JB and LL) realised that there was not only no existing book that tied the relevant topics together, but much less published literature on these topics than might be expected for such a wide-ranging field. The reason for this is possibly academic barriers to research and publication, which anecdotally have impacted many people interested in this field. For example, research can be delayed or prevented by ethics committees, or completed research can be rejected by journals, and remain unpublished or published in minor journals overlooked by most of academia. I (JB) have extensive experience with various ethics committees and journals, so have my own insights into this issue. However, I am very grateful to those ethics committees that have been supportive, and to those journals that have published our work. Although some of these publications have been relatively successful, some of the publications in more modest journals deserve equal success. For example, my paper with Sam Russ et al. was turned down by several mainstream psychology journals before being accepted by New Male Studies, and I am grateful to the editor, Professor Miles Groth, for giving this excellent paper a home (Russ et al., 2015).

My (JB) decision to move from women’s health to male psychology means that I have gone from being published in internationally recognised journals to – usually – much less well recognised journals. This in part is a reflection on the relative value that academia – and society – places on women’s issues compared to men’s issues, something that Martin Seager has termed ‘male gender blindness’. But on a more optimistic note, in only a few years we have gone from the academic hinterlands to having a handful of more prestigious publications, e.g. BMC Ophthalmology and Infant and Child Development, including one in the British Journal of Clinical Psychology which has remained one of their top downloads since publication in 2017 (Liddon et al., 2017). Also, we have been cited relatively widely in the press and social media, which reflects our experience of how the general public have been ahead of professional psychologists in awareness and understanding of male psychology issues.

The aim of this book is to encourage learning and reflection on what currently are some of the most important topics and issues of male psychology. Other topics could have been included (e.g. male circumcision) or dealt with at greater length (e.g. relationships) and our intention is to deliver to the reader the best information on key topics in future books in this series.

The intended readership is relatively wide. This is a new field, so even very experienced psychologists might not have come across information on this topic previously. With this in mind, the book has been written so as to connect with academics at every level, while also being accessible to the intelligent lay reader. Some concession has been made to the breadth of readership in terms of keeping technical language and information to a minimum. This has meant excluding some details of inferential statistics (p values etc) which some academics would have liked to have seen, though full references are included for all studies mentioned, so the interested reader can find details in the original publications. We have however included two widely recognised measures of effect size, Cohen’s d and Pearson’s r(see glossary), mostly because they are relatively easy to understand. The result is a book that is pitched somewhere down the middle of the readership, probably at about an undergraduate level.

This book is significant in several ways. Firstly, it deals with issues that are widespread, are serious in terms of their impact (e.g. crime, suicide) and have not been highlighted in quite the same way before. Secondly, issues around sex and gender appear to grow more complex day by day, and correspondingly the need for clarity on these issues has become more pressing. Thirdly, the way gender issues have been dealt with up to now has left room for improvement. When I (JB) started researching with Martin Seager and others in 2011, before I initiated the Male Psychology Network in Feb 2014, our starting point was the dominant model of masculinity: the deficit model. We published a paper (Seager et al., 2014a) that, in retrospect, suffered from many of the flaws in the deficit model that we discuss in this book (see Section 12.2) which we now recognise as beta bias (we combined men and women in the factor analysis sample for our gender scripts), the presumption that masculinity is harmful to mental health (the ‘deficit model’) and the ‘schoolboy error’ of tacitly presuming that correlation indicates causation. One of the aims of this book is to create a better informed starting point for researchers and others, so that the repetition of flaws of previous research can be avoided.

This book aims to give an overview of what we know about the different aspects of male psychology. It also highlights recurring themes that are woven through the different topic chapters, as well as evaluating – where necessary – the theory and research. Although the book is written at the level of the psychology undergraduate, it will be accessible to both the informed lay reader, and informative to experienced professional psychologists who want to familiarise themselves using a resource based on science and research evidence. The structure of the book is intended to make the subject easily accessible, and the companion website offers opportunities for learning and reflection, that will be especially useful for tutors who want ideas for seminars. This online material also encourage readers to think independently about the issues raised.

As well as being educational, many readers will find the content interesting. This is partly because much of it will be new, but also partly because it combines two topics that lots of people find fascinating: understanding the psychology of men, and understanding what makes men and women different. This is the first book to achieve this from the position of male psychology.

The process of writing this book has been a challenging but rewarding one. It has allowed us to explore in greater detail topics we are familiar with (e.g. health and mental health) and discover the connections with topics we were once less familiar with (e.g. sports and military psychology). This process was punctuated with ‘aha!’ moments, such as the realisation that the army – for all the good and bad that can be said about it – can be thought of as the original and ultimate Men’s Shed. (We mean that with great respect to both the Armed Forces and the Men’s Sheds movement!)

We look forward to working on the rest of the books in this series, and hope that this introductory book whets readers’ appetite for more.

Louise Liddon

John Barry,

England, 2021

Acknowledgements

We owe our gratitude to so many people who have inspired, encouraged, supported and assisted us in making this book possible. Our thanks go especially to everyone who voted for a Male Psychology Section of the British Psychological Society (BPS), all those who have attended the Male Psychology Network (MPN) conferences at University College London (UCL) between 2014 and 2019 and given free and open lectures at UCL for the MPN, all of the authors of chapters for the Handbook of Male Psychology and Mental Health, and all of the academic journal editors that took the risk of disapproval from peers by publishing papers on male psychology, and in some cases having this rewarded with a much greater number of readers than any of us could have hoped for. We are especially thankful to the Wiley team for their support during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, and to our wonderful illustrator, Aimee McLernon, who helped bring our ideas to life with such artistry. We extend our appreciation to all of the people who volunteer their time tirelessly to help educate the public on male psychology issues, and support the men and boys who need – often very desperately – their support. A special acknowledgement is needed for consultant clinical psychologist Martin Seager, who started the campaign for a BPS Section for male psychology, and whose seemingly endless energy, insight and knowledge have been invaluable resources for all of us.

About the Authors

John Barry

John Barry is a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS), Honorary Lecturer in Psychology at University College London, clinical hypnotherapist and author of around 70 peer-reviewed publications on a variety of topics in psychology and health, including many on male psychology. He has also co-authored letters to The Psychologist magazine to raise awareness of issues relevant to male psychology. John co-founded both the Male Psychology Network and the Male Psychology Section of the BPS, and has been lead organiser of the Male Psychology Conference (2014–present) and co-editor of the Palgrave Handbook of Male Psychology and Mental Health (2019). At time of writing John is Chair of the Male Psychology Section of the BPS and previously was the first Honorary Secretary of the Male Psychology Section. John’s interest is not only in male psychology; his PhD was on the Psychological Aspects of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, which is also the title of his book, published by Palgrave Macmillan (2019).

Louise Liddon

Louise is an independent researcher and author in the field of male psychology. In addition to Perspectives in Male Psychology, her work also includes a chapter in the seminal and successful Palgrave Handbook of Male Psychology and Mental Health called ‘What are the factors that make a male-friendly therapy?’ and a number of research papers such as ‘Gender differences in preferences for psychological treatment, coping strategies, and triggers to help-seeking’, published in the British Journal of Clinical Psychology (2017), which is one of this journal’s top 20 downloads since publication. Louise has been a member of the BPS Male Psychology Section Committee since its creation and was elected secretary in 2019. Louise has previous work experience as a specialist mentor for students with mental health problems, has tutored for an online mental health course and has worked as a support worker in a secure mental health unit. Louise has an MSc in Health Psychology and BSc in Psychology. Previous to her psychology studies, Louise worked as a project manager for a multinational corporate company.

Part 1 An Introduction to Perspectives in Male Psychology

1 How to Use This Book Effectively

CHAPTER OUTLINE

1.1  INTRODUCTION

1.2  BOOK STRUCTURE AND CONTENT

        1.2.1 Book Structure

        1.2.2 Book Content

        1.2.3 Readability of Content

1.3  CHAPTER STRUCTURE AND CONTENT

1.4  OPPORTUNITIES FOR REFLECTION AND LEARNING (ONLINE ONLY)

1.5  RESPONSIBLE USE OF BOOK MATERIAL

1.6  SELF-CARE

1.7  CONCLUDING REMARKS

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

Understand how the chapters are structured so the book can be used effectively

Be aware of learning and reflective opportunities

Be aware of the potential usages of the material in this book and the responsibility attached to that usage

Recognise the role of self-care when reading about content that could potentially bring about challenging emotions

1.1 INTRODUCTION

To get the best out of this book it is worth taking a few minutes to read this chapter to learn a little more about its structure and content.

1.2 BOOK STRUCTURE AND CONTENT

1.2.1 Book Structure

As can be seen from the contents page, the book is split into four parts:

Part 1: An introduction to perspectives in male psychology

This part consists of one chapter, How to Use this Book Effectively, and provides some context to the book.

Part 2: An introduction to male psychology

This part consists of two chapters, Male Psychology: An Introduction and Studying Sex and Gender Differences: An Introduction, which provide context for Part 3.

Part 3: ‘Male psychology and …’

This part consists of nine different areas of focus: Child Development; Education; Sport and Exercise; The Workplace; Forensics and Crime; The Military; Mental Health, Therapy and Support Services; Health and Wellbeing; and Regarding Masculinity.

Part 4: Concluding remarks and final thoughts

The final part of this book consists of some concluding remarks based on the contents of the book, starting with a summary of the key themes uncovered in the course of writing this book, an outline of a systems approach to male psychology and a list of recommendations for research and further development of male psychology as a discipline.

1.2.2 Book Content

Writing an introductory book that explores the psychology of men and boys is a potentially enormous task, focusing primarily on roughly half of humanity, with implications for the whole of humanity, encompassing numerous areas of interest across the human condition. You may therefore be wondering why we have included one topic area and not another. Our choices were based on many considerations, such as what we thought would be most interesting, important, relevant to the field of psychology, and with at least a basic evidence base. Future books within the series will delve deeper into some topics addressed here, as well as exploring new areas not covered here. In the present book we have aimed to, where appropriate, incorporate information that shows where there is another point of view on a topic.

1.2.3 Readability of Content

Writing a book that translates psychological science into an accessible format is a challenge for any author. If a book is written only for specialists, it excludes others who may benefit from reading the book, but if it’s too accessible, there is a concern that the material lacks precision. In this book we have tried to find a middle ground between writing for professional psychologists and writing for the intelligent layperson. In practice this means using as little technical language and statistical detail as possible, while maintaining accuracy. Where we haven’t been able to avoid necessary technical terms, we have attempted to explain such terms in the glossary (see companion website).

1.3 CHAPTER STRUCTURE AND CONTENT

All chapters follow a similar structure in order to provide easy, clear presentation and access. Each chapter is broken down as follows:

Start of chapter

The beginning section of each chapter is structured to allow you to identify, at a glance, areas of interest to you:

Chapter title

Chapter outline

Learning outcomes

Main body of chapter

The main body of each chapter contains description, analysis and evaluation of the specific area of focus. These have been broken down into different sections and subsections:

Introduction

Sections and subsections

Spotlight boxes

Summary

Concluding remarks

Within each chapter some of the material is flagged up for special attention in three ways.

Textboxes ‘spotlight’ material that is particularly relevant or interesting, as well as recurring themes found in male psychology.

Themes are flagged in the body of text in each chapter. Themes are summarised in

Figure 13.2

. The themes are: unintended consequences (resulting from things like ‘slow violence’), the nature/nurture debate (often resulting in reductionism), help-seeking (often resulting in victim-blaming), research and methodology (featuring flawed definitions and over-interpretation of findings, and overlooking the importance of sex differences – the difference that makes the difference, ‘there are more similarities than differences’, yin and yang), bias in research (gamma bias, delta bias, population bias, ‘unknown unknowns’).

Information in one section that is relevant to another is flagged as, for example, ‘(

Section 13.2

)’, indicating that you should see the second section of

Chapter 13

.

1.4 OPPORTUNITIES FOR REFLECTION AND LEARNING (ONLINE ONLY)

To develop a sound understanding of male psychology (and sex and gender issues in general) it is worth trying to be as objective as possible. This means basing your understanding on objective evidence as opposed to relying on your subjective views based on experiences, assumptions, emotions etc. While it is impossible to be truly objective, you should aim to be as aware as possible of your own perceptions, personal history and biases, and explore the impact these may have on your position. On the Wiley companion website we have provided a few questions to help you both self-reflect and discuss with others the chapter content. We have also provided some further reading and additional resources to enhance your learning experience. Below is an example of the types of content that appears on the Wiley website accompanying this book. Note that not all chapters will contain all possible types of the additional material.

Questions

Reflection (questions suited to a person thinking on their own and referring specially to their own biases etc)

Scenario-based questions (questions related to topic(s))

Discussion points (questions suited to groups such as a classroom exercise)

Essay questions (questions suited to a person writing an essay)

Further reading

Books

Journal articles

Websites

Reports

Types of resources

Videos

Films

Books

Book chapters

Journal articles

Reports

Blogs

Websites

1.5 RESPONSIBLE USE OF BOOK MATERIAL

As this book is presenting some ideas for the first time, readers will probably appreciate that – for the sake of brevity and clarity – most of the material will describe the male psychology perspective more than other perspectives (see Section 2.2) Readers are encouraged to read around any particular subject and make up their minds based on the balance of evidence available. There are other points of view and new research findings, and they should be given due consideration.

1.6 SELF-CARE

Discussions about sex and gender can be enlightening and beneficial, and also challenging, emotive and confusing, but that doesn’t mean we should never talk about these matters. You may have bought this book out of general interest, or because you are struggling with a personal issue and are looking for answers. Although you will probably find this book useful, it is not in any way designed as a form of therapy or self-help, but rather as an introduction to some things we think are important to the field of male psychology. We therefore hope you enjoy this book, but if any of the information in these pages brings up difficult emotions for you, then please do engage in some self-care or seek professional help. It might be an idea before you read further to think about what you could do if negative emotions were to arise. This book covers many serious issues and, we hope, helps to develop the narratives around these topics in a positive way and create a new discourse, but readers might find some of the material challenging and should be prepared to take care of themselves while reading this book.

1.7 CONCLUDING REMARKS

You can familiarise yourself with the layout and structure of this book in order to use it more effectively. Remember to engage with the additional resources and opportunities for learning and reflection to enhance your experience of the book. This book may be utilised for a range of purposes, and readers should take responsibility for their particular usage. Try and be aware of any self-care needs that may occur when reading this book and think ahead to any challenging emotions that may arise.

Part 2 An Introduction to Male Psychology

2 Male Psychology: An Introduction

CHAPTER OUTLINE

2.1  INTRODUCTION

2.2  WHAT IS MALE PSYCHOLOGY?

2.3  ORIGINS OF MALE PSYCHOLOGY

2.4  FOUNDATIONS OF MALE PSYCHOLOGY

        2.4.1 Male Psychology Recognises that Sex and Gender Differences Exist to Varying Degrees

        2.4.2 Male Psychology is Ethical and Respectful

        2.4.3 Male Psychology Recognises the Complexity of the Human Condition and Takes a Holistic Approach

        2.4.4 Comment on Intersectionality

        2.4.5 Comment on Identity Politics

        2.4.6 Male Psychology is Evidence-Based

2.5  WHY STUDY MALE PSYCHOLOGY?

        2.5.1 Male Psychology Offers a New Way of Looking at Sex and Gender

        2.5.2 Male Psychology Values Practical Solutions

        2.5.3 Male Psychology is Relevant to a Range of Careers

        2.5.4 Male Psychology Makes Common Sense

        2.5.5 Male Psychology Brings a New Perspective

2.6  WHAT DO PSYCHOLOGISTS GENERALLY MEAN BY PERSPECTIVES

2.7  CONCLUDING REMARKS

2.8  SUMMARY

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

Offer a definition of male psychology

Gain some insight into the theoretical basis of male psychology

Understand how male psychology is different to other perspectives e.g. gender studies

Understand the benefits of studying male psychology

Appreciate the how male psychology values being practical, and seeks realistic solutions to real-world problems

2.1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter starts by providing a definition as to what male psychology is, looks briefly at the origins of male psychology as an academic field and highlights why it is a much needed area, and how it is different from other approaches to studying men and gender.

2.2 WHAT IS MALE PSYCHOLOGY?

Male psychology is a new field within the discipline of psychology, with a focus on men and boys. Below are some examples of what male psychology is about.

Studying men and boys:

in different settings (e.g. school or university)

using different services (e.g. health, legal)

from different perspectives (e.g. evolutionary, social)

in the light of different theories (e.g. gamma bias, social identity theory)

as an essential group (e.g. biological statistical norms)

as specific demographics (e.g. age groups, social class)

Areas of interest may include:

issues that predominantly impact men and boys, e.g. suicide, rough sleeping

issues that may impact women more than men, but where the impact on men is under-researched, e.g. male victims of sexual abuse

understanding the strengths that men often have, and how these can potentially be harnessed to help solve men’s problems e.g. wanting to take control of problems.

Questions someone coming from a male psychology perspective might have:

What does existing research tell us about masculinity?

How can we best help with the mental health of men?

What are the causes of male criminality?

What are the causes of boys’ underperformance in school?

Activities in male psychology may include:

Conducting research (e.g. testing hypotheses, designing therapies)

Work in the community (e.g. with homeless men)

Clinical practice (i.e. conducting therapy)

Teaching male psychology

Informing government policy

Disseminating factual information in the media

2.3 ORIGINS OF MALE PSYCHOLOGY

Early ventures into the field of men’s psychology in the US in the 1990s borrowed from concepts in sociology and feminism. They developed a ‘deficit view’ of masculinity, focusing on the ways in which masculinity might harm men and the people around them.

A new development has taken place in the past decade, which has brought a more recognisably psychological approach to understanding men, placing much less emphasis on sociocultural theories of masculinity and more emphasis on science and clinical practice. This began in the UK as the Men’s Mental Health Research Team (MMHRT) in 2011, becoming in 2014 the Male Psychology Network (MPN), a focal point for therapists, researchers, lecturers and third sector workers and volunteers. 2014 saw the first annual Male Psychology Conference, bringing together academics and therapists from around the world, especially at that time the UK, US and Canada. The same year saw the first academic publications from the UK-based MPN research group, and 2018 saw the first professional male psychology body (the Male Psychology Section of the British Psychological Society (BPS)), which was first proposed in 2010 by consultant clinical psychologist Martin Seager. The year 2019 saw the first major book on the topic (the Palgrave Handbook of Male Psychology and Mental Health), which has been an international success, and 2020 saw the first undergraduate module on the subject (at the University of Sunderland, UK). Although a relative newcomer in academic terms, male psychology is a dynamic new field and – arguably – the leading edge today in understanding the psychology of men and boys.

2.4 FOUNDATIONS OF MALE PSYCHOLOGY

Male psychology aims to understand the psychology of men and boys. This involves various aspects, including:

identifying patterns and themes relevant to males in key areas (mental health, education etc;

Section 13.2

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