Between Rocks and Hard Places: Ideological dilemmas in men's talk about health and gender

In studies on men¿s health, it has become commonplace to claim that hegemonic masculinity is in profound conflict with health-awareness and healthy lifestyle. This book questions this assumption by critically exploring how men discuss health, healthy lifestyle and masculinity on the basis of interviews with Finnish paper-mill workers. The study focuses on conflicts and dilemmas within and between constructions of healthiness and masculinity by analyzing men¿s interview talk on self-rated health, applicability of health information, men¿s health as a societal phenomenon, and bedrocks of personal healthy lifestyle. By shedding light on men¿s increased health-awareness and interest in health issues, the study challenges many of the prevailing assumptions of research on men¿s health and masculinities. As a conclusion, the study suggests that a key feature of modern hegemonic masculinity is asserting discursive competence in interaction for managing varying meanings related to gender and health. The book is useful and thought-provoking for academics and health professionals dealing with men¿s health, lay understanding of health and illness as well as gender studies.