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Understanding boys': thinking through boys, masculinity and suicide
Mairtin Mac An Ghaill1, Chris Haywood
1University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Social Science & Medicine (1982)
|September 14, 2010
Summary
This study challenges applying adult masculinity concepts to explain boys' mental health issues and suicide risks. It suggests exploring how boys' own gender is formed, particularly through friendships.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Gender Studies
Background:
- Media reports indicate rising childhood suicide rates in the UK, with more pre-adolescent boys diagnosed with mental illness.
- Commentators often attribute these trends to gender, applying adult concepts of masculinity to boys' behaviors.
- Existing explanations focus on 'too much' or 'not enough' masculinity, linking it to help-seeking or social isolation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To question the validity of using normative masculinity models to explain pre-adolescent boys' behaviors and mental health.
- To suggest researchers reconsider how boys' genders are constituted, moving beyond adult-centric frameworks.
- To explore the role of friendships in shaping boys' experiences of communication, integration, and isolation.
Main Methods:
- Discourse analysis of semi-structured interviews.
- Data collected from 28 children (ages 9-13) and 12 school staff in North East England.
- Focus on understanding children's perspectives on gender and well-being.
Main Results:
- Normative models of masculinity may oversimplify the complexities of boys' behaviors and mental health.
- Applying adult masculinity frameworks can reduce gender formation to power dynamics.
- Boys' genders are potentially constituted differently than adult models suggest.
Conclusions:
- Rethinking how we gender younger boys is crucial for accurate understanding.
- Friendship dynamics significantly influence how boys experience communication, integration, and isolation.
- Further research should explore boys' gender constitution within their peer interactions to better understand mental health and suicide-related behaviors.
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