It was hypothesized that there would be a relationship between intended and actual help-seeking behavior, and general ideas and practices of masculinity among the young men who participated in this study. However, despite the initial hypothesis, this study failed to demonstrate a clear link between ideas and practices of masculinity and help-seeking behavior.
Introduction & Rationale
- Introduction
- Research problem
- Rationale for this study
- Aims of this research
- Help-seeking
- Masculinity
- Help-seeking and masculinity
Therefore, this research is important to expand what is already known about the relationship between masculinity and help-seeking behavior. In chapter four, an introduction to the relationship between masculinity and help-seeking behavior will be provided.
Help-Seeking
- Defining help-seeking
- The importance of help-seeking for young men
- Patterns of help-seeking behaviour amongst young men
- Factors affecting the help-seeking behaviour of young men
- Age
- Socio-cultural differences
- Individual psychological factors
- The nature and intensity of a presenting problem
- Gender
- Summary
As outlined above, a significant amount of research has examined the patterns of help-seeking behavior among different sample groups. It has been found that help-seeking behavior is usually rare among adolescents (Kgole, 2004; Van der Riet & Knoetze, 2004).
Masculinity Theory
- Introduction to gender theory
- Introduction to masculinity theory
- Masculinity in the South African context
- Post-Apartheid masculinities in South Africa
- Ideas and practices of masculinity in the South African context
- Summary
It is well documented that many ideas and practices of masculinity in South Africa have been challenged by the political changes in that country since 1994 (Walker, 2005). 22 This inevitably influenced the constructs and practices of masculinity in this country (Morrell, 2001a).
Help-Seeking and Masculinity
Introduction to help-seeking and masculinity
- Masculine gender socialization
- Social constructionist theory
- Social psychological perspectives
- Psychosocial model of help-seeking and masculinity
Addis and Mahalik's (2003) work, which looked specifically at men's help-seeking behavior, has resulted in a theoretical framework for understanding this behavior among men (Mansfield et al., 2005). Within many traditional masculine ideologies, including so-called traditional Western masculine ideologies, help-seeking has been limited by the ideas and practices prescribed by these ideals (Mansfield et al., 2005). In terms of masculinity and help-seeking behavior, it is predicted that if a group norm does not encourage help-seeking, help-seeking behavior will be limited as a result (Mansfield et al., 2005).
It has been suggested that help-seeking (particularly for health reasons) may be perceived as a threat to autonomy or self-control, which has the effect of limiting this type of behavior among certain groups (Mansfield et al., 2005). Men are less likely to seek help if seeking help for a specific problem within a specific context is perceived as abnormal.
Direction for future initiatives aimed at improving men’s help-seeking
Second, from a pragmatic point of view, argue White et al. 2006) suggest that health services are often more available to women, with most health services offered during the working day when men are likely to be involved in work, and where time away from work is more likely to be seen as a sign of . Finally, out of an appreciation of the role that ideas and practices of masculinity can have on this trend, White et al. 2006) argue that constructions of masculinity have a negative influence on men's health. 2006) suggest that the above concerns should be taken into account by both policy makers and health service providers, and that specific initiatives should be developed. An important consideration here is the recognition that the "health needs, health beliefs and health-related behaviors" of men and women are different (White et al., 2006, p.455).
Jarret, Bellamy and Adeyemi (2007), suggest that health care settings should be male-friendly, and therefore should create an atmosphere that encourages and makes help-seeking by men more effective. Likewise, it is equally important that these services are "taken" to those populations in need, in a way that both addresses difficulties before they occur and after they occur (Rickwood et al. , 2005, p.22). .
Summary
Methodology
Rationale for this study
Research aims
- Likelihood and type of help-seeking
- Masculinity
- The association between help-seeking and masculinity
Research design
Measurement
- General Help-Seeking Questionnaire (GHSQ)
- The Male Attitudes Norms Inventory II (MANI-II)
41 feature of this questionnaire is its ability to measure both intentional and actual help-seeking behavior. This is particularly relevant in the case of formal resources, whose function in many cases is quite specific, and where the need for this kind of help may not have arisen in a period of two weeks for many of the participants. The MANI-II was developed as a refinement of the earlier MANI, both of which were designed to measure masculine ideology in South Africa.
The forty statements listed in this measure are what Luyt (2005, p.212) describes as "belief statements," which are said to reflect "dominant notions of masculinity." Finally, the Sexuality scale measures "the importance of (hetero) sexuality and its performance in dominant male expression" (Luyt, 2005, pg.221).
Procedure
Sampling
- Religious affiliation
- Language
- Faculty
- Sexual Orientation
44 The decision to consider patterns of help-seeking behavior and the influence of masculinity on this behavior among young men was motivated by The representation of each of these demographic factors in a sample of 100 young men is described below. 26 percent of the participants indicated Hinduism as their religious affiliation, while Catholicism and Islam represented 8 and 7 percent of the sample as their religious affiliation.
70 percent of the participants indicated English as their mother tongue, while the remaining 28 and 2 percent of the sample indicated an African or Indian language as their mother tongue, respectively. 7 and 2 percent of the sample identified themselves as homosexual or bisexual, respectively, while 15 percent of the sample did not specify their sexual orientation.
Data analysis
- Likelihood and type of help-seeking
- Masculinity
- The association between help-seeking and masculinity
To explore the relationship between shared ideas and practices of masculinity and young people's intended and actual help-seeking behavior, scores on the MANI-II masculinity scales and scores on the GHSQ were compared. However, in doing so, it was important to measure this relationship in terms of both intended and actual help-seeking behavior. To explore the relationship between shared ideas and practices of masculinity and young people's actual help-seeking behavior, a one-way series.
In order to explore the relationship between these common ideas and practices of masculinity and intentional help-seeking behaviour, a series of. In both of these cases, these data were organized to provide information about the relationship between these common ideas and practices of masculinity and intentional and actual help-seeking behavior from all the resources used in this study.
Ethical considerations
It is also anticipated that the information gathered here may stimulate and benefit future initiatives in this regard. To safeguard this, it was important that all participants gave their informed consent before voluntarily participating in this study. Although it was not anticipated that participation in this research would place participants in any physical, social, or emotional danger, care was taken throughout this process to ensure that participants were not harmed in any way.
When conducting social science research, it is also important that the procedures carried out in this research are carried out competently (Durrheim & . Wassenaar, 2004). In conducting this research, permission was obtained from the authors of the questionnaires used in this research, with supporting information regarding the previous use of these instruments.
Help-seeking behaviour
- Partner
- Friend
- Other relative
- Mental health professional
- Phone help line
- General practitioners
- Teacher
- Nobody
- Summary
44 percent of participants reported that they are very likely to seek help from their partners in the future. Accordingly, 98 percent of the sample reported that they had not sought help from a helpline in the past two weeks. In support of this, 95 percent of the sample reported that they had not sought help from a teacher in the past two weeks.
Instead, 49 percent of participants felt they were very unlikely to seek help from anyone. 73 percent of the sample reported that they had sought help from someone in the past two weeks.
Masculinity
- Home language
- Faculty
- Religious affiliation
- Sexual orientation
- Summary
In contrast, Hindu participants placed the least emphasis on the ideas and practices embodied by the Control (44.3462) scale. Christians seem to have placed the least emphasis on the ideas and practices embodied by the Sexuality (21.4651) and Toughness (20.7442) scales. There was little difference in the general ideas and practices of masculinity among heterosexual and other sexual orientation groups among the sample at hand.
However, on the sexuality scale (F = 4.067; df = 3; p < 0.009), there appeared to be some difference in ideas and practices of masculinity shared by homosexual participants and those from the other sexual orientation groups. In this study, differences were noted between participants according to faculty, religious affiliation, and sexual orientation groups.
Actual help-seeking and masculinity
- Actual help-seeking from partners
- Actual help-seeking from friends
- Actual help-seeking from parents
- Actual help-seeking from other relatives
- Actual help-seeking from mental health professionals
- Actual help-seeking from phone help lines
- Actual help-seeking from general practitioners
- Actual help-seeking from teachers
- Actual help-seeking from nobody
- Summary
This therefore suggests a relationship between some of the common ideas and practices of masculinity and the actual help-seeking behavior of the young men. However, contrary to what was hypothesized, higher scores on the masculinity scale appear to increase the reported proportion of young men actually helping parents. Again, this suggests that ideas and practices of masculinity do not influence the help-seeking behavior of mental health professionals.
Again, this suggests that ideas and practices of masculinity have no influence on how teachers seek help. However, contrary to what was hypothesized, it appears that higher scores on the masculinity scales increase the reported frequency of actual help-seeking behavior in the young men.
Intentional help-seeking and masculinity
- Summary
Therefore, this does not support the hypothesis made at the beginning of this research, which predicted a strong relationship between shared ideas of masculinity and a weak intention to seek help among young people. Instead, based on the results found here, it would appear that higher scores on masculinity scales increase the likelihood of seeking help from various help sources. This included a relationship between scores on the severity scale and a higher likelihood of seeking help from partners.
Interestingly, there was no significant relationship between scores on the Luyt Total scale and the likelihood of help-seeking behavior from any of the resources mentioned here.
Discussion
- Aims and rationale revisited
- Help-seeking behaviour
- Patterns of help-seeking behaviour
- Factors affecting help-seeking behaviour
- Masculinity
- Limitations to this study
Instead, the intended and actual help-seeking behavior of young men was considered collectively in this study. Instead, this research focused more on the collective patterns of help-seeking behavior in its sample. It is at this point that this research became of particular interest as it explores the relationship between conventional ideas and practices of masculinity and intended and actual help-seeking behaviour.
The central focus of this research has been to examine the relationship between shared ideas and practices of masculinity and help-seeking behavior among South African youth. This study hypothesized that there would be a relationship between shared ideas and practices of masculinity and young people's intended and actual help-seeking behavior.
Conclusion & Recommendations
Help-seeking
Masculinity
Help-seeking and masculinity
It is anticipated that this research may be useful in creating a greater understanding of young men's help-seeking behavior in this context, and its relationship to ideas and practices of masculinity. Help seeking behavior of youth in urban colleges in two South African provinces: A comparative study. Male gender role conflict and patterns of help seeking in Costa Rica and the United States.
Measuring Men's Help Seeking Development and Evaluating the Barriers to Help Seeking Scale. Help seeking patterns in urban and rural youth in two South African provinces: A socio-contextual view.
