14. GENDER AND HEALTH TUTORIAL

Question 1

1. What might be the social reasons as to why Yiannis developed her Heart Disease?

Answer 1

• his lifestyle choices
• his bad habits
• his smoking
• his drinking
• his stress
• his behavioural changes

Question 2

2. Which two factors affect the life expectancy and the mortality for both men and women?

Answer 2

• social factors
• biological factors

Question 3

3. Which social factors led to men having a lower life expectancy and higher mortality?

Answer 3

• they did more dangerous jobs
  (mining, oil rig work, fishing, constructions, heavy industry)
• men are more likely to be risk takers
• men are more likely to undertake dangerous activities:
  - dangerous sports (hand gliding)
  - car and motorbiking racing
  - rock-climbing
  - criminal activity

Question 4

4. Which gender dies more with regards to car accidents?

Answer 4

• men

Question 5

5. Which gender dies more from their own lifestyle choices?

EG: smoking

Answer 5

• men

Question 6

6. With regards to serious chronic illnesses, which gender is more likely to die more?

Answer 6

• men
• they are less likely to read the symptoms correctly
• they are less likely to seek help early

Question 7

7. Which gender is more likely to report more symptoms and consult clinicians more?

Answer 7

• women

Question 8

8. Which mental disorder do women tend to suffer more from?

Answer 8

• Alzheimer’s Disease
• this can be caused by biological reasons
• it can also be due to poor cognitive reserves
  (lack of education)
• lack of prior exercise can also result in this

Question 9

9. Why is Yiannis not willing to change his lifestyle?

Answer 9

• he does not want to change it
• he does not want to lose his friends due to making changes in his lifestyle for the better
• he wants to keep his habits masculine
• he relates his bad habits to enjoyment

Question 10

10. What is the underlying force for men’s more risky behaviour?

Answer 10

• masculinity

Question 11

11. What is Masculinity?

Answer 11

• it is a man’s social identity
• it is what defines somebody as a man

Question 12

12. Are there different types of masculinities?

Answer 12

• yes

Question 13

13. What is the most influential type of masculinity?

Answer 13

• hegemonic

Question 14

14. What is hegemonic masculinity linked with?

Answer 14

• authority
• power
• paid work
• physical strength
• heterosexuality

NB: men are considered socially accepted in a society when they have all these characteristics

Question 15

15. What are men involved in in order to achieve hegemonic masculinity?

Answer 15

• they are involved in dangerous activities
• activities that revolve around physical strength and power

Question 16

16. What are two activities that are considered as tough male habits?

Answer 16

• smoking
• heavy alcohol consumption

Question 17

17. What do men tend to believe is a women’s job?
    Why is this?

Answer 17

• they believe health is a women’s job
• admitting that you are unhealthy requires vulnerability
• this goes against hegemonic male values

Question 18

18. What do men tend to avoid?

Answer 18

• behaving in ways that would cause other people to view them as feminine

Question 19

19. Why are hegemonic values so influential?

Answer 19

• men have been socialised with hegemonic masculinity
• this has become a 2nd nature for them
• they are bred into this way of living

Question 20

20. Why do men walk the way they do?

Answer 20

• to occupy more space
• they see themselves as more powerful

Question 21

21. Why is the gender gap in life expectancy getting smaller?

Answer 21

• more and more women are dying from cardiovascular disease and from lung cancer
• this is because:
  - women are increasingly adopting men’s ways of life
  - more and more women are heavy smokers
  - more and more women are heavy drinkers
  - women’s diets are becoming unhealthy
  - women are increasingly undertaking more
  dangerous activities

Question 22

22. What has caused Yiannis’ condition?

Answer 22

• Yiannis’ condition might have been caused by smoking and an unhealthy diet

Question 23

23. Why has Yiannis behaved dangerously?

Answer 23

• his behaviour relates to masculinity
• he behaves in order to reaffirm his male identity
• he wants to be accepted as a “real” male in the community
• he does not want to be seen as a “feminine” man
• Masculinity is a part of Yiannis’ 2nd nature
• this is why it is not easy for him to make life-style changes

Question 24

24. Read through this summary.
    Does everything make sense?

Answer 24

• yes

Question 25

25. What type of disorders are men more likely to suffer from?

Answer 25

• Disorders of Behaviour

Question 26

26. Which concepts best describe this patient’s attitude?

Answer 26

• Masculinity and Embodiment

NB: this case does not include the concept of Strategy
: as there is nothing in the case that states that he is
using his bad habits to achieve some kind of goal