November 2023: The Case For and Against Doing Virtual Photovoice
Photovoice methods have been powerful in conveying community strengths and challenges, and facilitate collective group views as a means for lobbying policy change and address wide-ranging health inequities. Hastened by COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the shift to online platforms has illuminated new advantages and challenges for doing virtual photovoice, and ways to implement it moving forward.
December 2023: Silence and its manifestations in men’s mental illness
From boyhood, men in western societies are socialized to adhere to masculine norms such as strength, dominance, self-reliance, power, and stoicism. These norms are reinforced in their daily interactions with others including family members, other men, and women. Consequently, many men suffer in silence and are reluctant to seek help from others due to fears of being perceived as unmanly or weak.
January 2024: Neo-traditionalist, egalitarian and progressive masculinities in men’s heterosexual intimate partner relationships
Traditional masculinity is often characterized by a lack of empathy and emotional restraint, and associated with protector and provider roles. However, demands for men to more fully participate in their intimate partner relationships have challenged traditional masculinity.
February 2024: Differentiating the role of alcohol in young men's use of substances with sex: A qualitative study
The rate of alcohol use among men has been high in past years, with many men between the ages of 18 to 44 participating in drinking or “heavy drinking”. Also of concern is the context in which substance use occurs, especially among young men where the relationship between consumption and masculine norms that cause risk taking behaviours are evident. As this is the case, alcohol consumption is a pressing issue that needs to be explored. The objective of this study is to explore young men’s experiences and contexts of alcohol use with sex.
March 2024:Young Men and Anxiety: Resisting, Reckoning, Responding
Anxiety disorders are often depicted by traits that are considered feminine such as mood volatility, irrationality, and uncertainty. Such traits and symptoms of anxiety go against the masculine norms of toughness, self-reliance, and stoicism. As this is the case, current diagnostic criteria neglects men’s experiences of anxiety.