Abstract
This chapter provides an overview of contemporary literature on men’s health and illness, focusing on the relation between masculinities and health practices and outcomes. In public discourse, as well as in academic debate, it emerges that usually men experience poorer health outcomes compared to women. Over time, different disciplines have studied the nature of these disadvantages, their possible underlying causes, and the potential actions to be taken to reduce health disparities. This chapter delves into various disciplinary perspectives, from early biological and psychological explanations to sociological theorization and studies. Particular attention will be dedicated to the debate on the hegemonic masculinity framework and its further developments, as well as contemporary literature on third wave critical studies on men and masculinities, examining its importance in better understanding men’s experience of health and illness.
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Quaglia, V. (2023). The Current Context of Men’s Health and Illness. In: Wounded Masculinities. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-44436-4_2
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