“Why aren’t you crying more?” : young New Zealand men talk mental health in a shifting climate of masculinities : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Clinical Psychology at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand

Abstract

“Why Aren’t You Crying More?” invites an examination of the mental health attitudes and practices of young men in the context of New Zealand masculinities. There appears to be increasing recognition that traditional, hegemonic masculinities are implicated in men’s mental health practices and outcomes. This has facilitated a proliferation of public discourse about men’s mental health issues. Moreover, there appears to be increasing attenuation and nonconformity of traditional masculinities in certain contexts, particularly amongst young men. There has been limited exploration of the implications of attenuated and nonconforming masculinities for men’s mental health. Furthermore, there is little research that has examined the possibility of shifts in gendered mental health attitudes or practices, particularly in New Zealand. This research begins to address these gaps by exploring the experiences of young New Zealand men. This research asks, “how are young New Zealand men experiencing masculinity, and what are the implications for their mental health attitudes and practices?” In depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirteen young, everyday New Zealand men. The analysis employed social constructionism informed Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Findings depict a social context in which young New Zealand men’s mental health practices are still influenced by masculine norms of strength and toughness. Simultaneously, participants suggest these norms are softening, with reducing stigma and social punishment of nonconformity. Participants experience promotion of traditionally non masculine mental health practices, and observe normalisation of emotional expression, help-seeking practices, and vulnerability in men. They caveat that these movements are neither universal nor ubiquitous, as promotional efforts fail to simultaneously address the dynamic conditions that perpetuate men’s conformity to norms of strength and invulnerability. Within this context of conflicting gendered mental health messaging, this thesis finds that young men do not simply accept or reject prescribed norms. Instead, young men engage in dynamic processes of adaptation, resistance, and selective disclosure, depending on context, trust, and perceived risk. This thesis contributes to the existing research corpus by applying emerging contemporary masculinities work to the field of mental health. It calls for future interventions that are nuanced and empathetic, and offers considered insights for how to support New Zealand men’s wellbeing.