Metrosexual Masculinities

Inclusive Masculinity Theory: overview, reflection and refinement

“…Bridges (2014: 80) argues that straight men have started to embrace "gay aesthetics," but contends they do so "without challenging the systems of inequality from which they emerge." This is contested by Hall (2014) who argues, contrastingly, that metrosexuality is evidence of significant social change.…”

‘I didn’t realise I was such a sausage’: men’s accounts of whole-body scanning, body image, and expected changes in health-related behaviours

“…However, existing studies do not tell us about the likely impact of using whole-body scanning with men. Although men have historically been under less pressure than women to look attractive, there is general consensus that men are now under increased societal pressure in relation to their appearance (Franko et al, 2015;Murray & Touyz, 2012;Hall, 2015), and during the last decade, psychologists have become increasingly interested in men's body image and male embodiment (Gough & Robertson, 2010;Grogan, 2017; ACCOUNTS OF WHOLE-BODY SCANNING…”

“…It has been suggested that many men worldwide aspire to a muscular mesomorphic shape characterized by average build with well-developed muscles on chest, arms, and shoulders, and slim waist and hips (Franko et al, 2015;Thompson & Cafri, 2007). It has also been argued that men's body dissatisfaction has increased significantly in the last thirty years as a direct result of increased objectification of the male body and consequent societal pressure for men to look slender and muscular to conform to masculine gender roles (Griffiths, Murray & Touyz, 2015;Hall, 2015;Monaghan, 2008;Smith, Rutty & Olrich, 2016). Given that increasing number of men are dissatisfied with some aspect of their bodies (Franko et al, 2015;Murray & Touyz, 2012;Smith Rutty & Olrich, 2016), men may be susceptible to appearance-related behaviour change interventions.…”

“…Work with women suggests that scanning may promote maintenance of exercise and healthy eating in women though not negative health-related behaviours such as over-exercise or dietary restraint (Grogan et al, 2017). However, impacts ACCOUNTS OF WHOLE-BODY SCANNING 6 on men are unclear, and given pressures on men to be slender and muscular (Hall, 2015;Smith et al, 2016), it is possible that negative health-related behaviours might be promoted inadvertently in men following whole-body scanning if body scanning promotes body dissatisfaction in men. Work with adolescents and adult men has shown that low body satisfaction can lead to unhealthy behaviours such as over-exercise and anabolic steroid use (Smith et al, 2016), ephedrine use (Hall, Grogan & Gough, 2015), and disordered eating (Griffiths, Murray, & Touyz, 2015).…”

The ‘Lift Big-Get Big’ culture: Impact of images of hyper-muscular bodies and training information upon resistance training beliefs in males

“…It has been argued that there has been an influential movement since the mid-1980s, of males being exposed to increasingly muscular physiques within the media (Mishkind, Rodin, Silberstein & Striegle-Moore, 1986), with a trend towards male depictions becoming increasingly muscular in both size and definition (Andersen & DiDomenico, 1992;Grogan, 2016;Hatoum & Belle, 2004;Leit, Pope & Gray, 2001;Pope, Phillips & Olivardia, 2000;Thompson & Cafri, 2007). By the 1990s, magazines increasingly focused on male appearance (Boni, 2002) and depicted men as sexual objects (Hall, 2015;Kimmel & Tissier-Desbordes, 1999;Rohlinger, 2002). Further, though attractive male leads have always been part of culture, since the 1980s, top grossing male movie actors' physiques have shown a trend toward increasing muscularity; a characteristic that is often associated with them being more aggressive, romantically successful, and obtaining more positive outcomes (Morrison & Halton, 2009) Thus it is thought as a consequence, men have begun to change their opinion about what is considered the ideal size, to reflect increased muscularity in an effort to conform to portrayed norms (Gattario et al, 2015;Leit et al, 2001;Raevuori, Lesli-Rahkonen, Bulik, Rose, Rissanen, & Kaprio, 2006).…”