Older Aboriginal men creating a therapeutic Men's Shed: an exploratory study

Abstract

Men's Sheds are entrenched throughout Australian and international communities due to their popularity in attracting mainly older men to come together and undertake various social and workshop activities. A growing body of research has emerged where men associate regular Shed participation with improved social, emotional and physical wellbeing. However, few studies have examined Aboriginal men's engagement in Men's Sheds. This article reports on a study that investigated how a cohort of older Aboriginal men from one rural Tasmanian community consider the benefits of engaging in their local Shed. A community-based participatory research approach was developed in consultation with Aboriginal community leaders to ensure the study supported the community's expectations. Interview data from ten Aboriginal men combine to represent the Shed environment as an enabling therapeutic landscape, with key themes represented as domains of belonging, hope, mentoring and shared illness experiences. Shed activities were premised on these men co-creating an informal, culturally safe and male-friendly community environment to enjoy the company of other men. The created Shed environment was mutually beneficial as the participants reported improved wellbeing despite living with the effects of declining health and ageing. The findings inform Aboriginal communities and health-care stakeholders to consider the unique role of Men's Sheds for enhancing the health of an ageing male population.

“So we tell them”: articulating strong Black masculinities in an urban Indigenous community

“…It is important to differentiate between critical Indigenous masculinities scholarship and the scholarship on Indigenous men that is grounded in a range of therapeutic contexts. Examples of the latter include Indigenous men's sheds projects and other work on social and emotional wellbeing (for example: Bulman & Hayes, 2011;Canuto, Wittert, Harfield, & Brown, 2018;Cox, Hoang, Barnett, & Cross, 2019;McDonald & Haswell, 2013). Judd is primarily concerned with social identities mediated by colonial contact between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples in Australia.…”

‘It all comes back to community!’: A qualitative study of Aboriginal Elders promoting cultural well‐being

“…28 The community face ongoing challenges with education and employment coupled with poverty, chronic diseases, substance abuse, self-harm, incarceration and limited access to primary health services. 29 In response to these challenges, the Aboriginal community established a cultural centre in the 1990s and has since developed the organisation's service provision capacity to deliver a range of government-funded health,…”

Experiences and perceptions of ageing among older First Nations Australians: A rapid review

“…Different aspects of fulfilling the roles and responsibilities of being an Elder were outlined as important priorities among older First Nations Australians in the majority of the identified studies. 3,[7][8][9][10]29,[33][34][35] Elders were considered important members of community and fulfilled key responsibilities: acting as bearers and transmitters of cultural knowledge, including preserving language, culture and cultural identity 3,[7][8][9][10]29,[33][34][35][36][37][38][39] ; fostering intergenerational connectedness through mentoring and role modelling 7,8,29,[33][34][35][36][37]40 ; caring for family and extended family 8,33,34 ; and acting as a pillar for community relations, 8,9,29,33,35 including as brokers of racial tensions in communities. 9,29,37,38 One study spoke about Elders being 'chosen from a younger age' and taught to be bearers of cultural knowledge, discussing that knowledge rather than age was a key tenet of Eldership.…”

“…Maintaining a sense of community and connection with others was outlined as integral to individual and collective well-being. 8,9,29,33,36 Community and social connection were seen as important elements of a good life, 38 and provided the foundation for a successful older Men's Shed group, 36 and a healthy ageing group that had established a 'community within a community'. 9 Social connection also provides a sense of belonging, which can contribute to positive perceptions of identity and self.…”

“…Six of the identified studies cited experiences related to resilience and cultural or physical survival. [7][8][9][10]33,36 Older First Nations Australians described surviving difficult socio-economic circumstances, 7,33,38 particularly as a result of racist government policies. 7,10 Resilience in older age was linked to social connection, 8,9,36 a sense of spirituality, 10 which was described through connection to family (both living and deceased), ancestors and relationship to Country.…”