“There’s No Sewing Classes, There’s No Bedazzling Seminars”: The Impact of Masculinity on Social Connectedness and Mental Health for Men Living in Inner-Regional Australia

Abstract

Regional Australian masculinities are typified by ‘traditional’ values (e.g., stoicism, self-reliance) known to restrict social connectedness. Thus, these masculinities have been implicated in worsening men’s mental health. What remains unclear, however, is how men living in inner-regional communities (i.e., townships on the fringes of major cities) might uniquely experience masculinity, social connectedness, and mental health. We interviewed 29 boys/men and one non-binary participant ( M age = 43.77 years) living in the Macedon Ranges (an inner-regional Australian community). Using reflexive thematic analysis, we generated three themes. Participants described inner-regional masculinities as traditional and rigid, and attributed the Macedon Ranges’ comparatively high suicide rate to these masculinities. Conversely, migration from the neighbouring city of Melbourne was implicated in introducing more inclusive masculinities to the area that conflicted with existing masculine norms. Thus, Macedon Ranges men were framed as ultimately lacking a cohesive community identity. Proximity to Melbourne was described as encouraging local men to commute daily for work instead of working locally, thereby further weakening community identity. Overall, these phenomena were implicated in damaging the psychosocial wellbeing of local men via reducing social connectedness. Because men’s mental illness is so pervasive within regional Australian communities, these findings have direct implications for policymakers. Namely, policies need to acknowledge that masculinities directly influence mental health and that inner-regional masculinities are impacted by unique place-based considerations distinct from men living in other regional communities.

Australian Men’s Help-Seeking Pathways for Anxiety

“…Indeed, prior qualitative research with Australian men has documented how masculinities and culture can be intertwined in their impact on mental health (Sharp et al, 2023). The mental health of Australian men living in regional communities can also be uniquely impacted by the cultural contexts that permeates regional communities (Bonell et al, 2023). In other cultural contexts outside of Australia, greater endorsement of the traditionally masculine norm of primacy of work has been found to be higher among Asian American relative to Caucasian men (Owen, 2011).…”

Predictors of male loneliness across life stages: an Australian study of longitudinal data

“…Research has consistently identified the role of objective social isolation in increasing male loneliness. In terms of friendship, having fewer friends, lacking close male friendships and having limited opportunities for social interactions have all been associated with increased loneliness [17][18][19][20][21][22][23]. While much of this research has focused on younger men, we may anticipate that poor-quality or lost friendships may also foster loneliness amongst older men.…”

Predictors of male loneliness across the lifespan: A longitudinal Australian study

“…In light of these variations, certain predictors of loneliness appear consistent throughout life, such as the quality and quantity of social relationships. Friendship factors, such as having fewer friends, lacking close male friendships and limited opportunities for social interactions have been associated with increased loneliness amongst younger men (13,20,21,22,23,24,25). Romantic relationship factors like the absence of a romantic partner, divorce, or the loss of a partner have been linked to higher levels of loneliness among men (11,15,20,21,26,27,28).…”