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Masculinity and strokes: the challenges presented to younger men by chronic illness

2013; Routledge; Volume: 23; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/09589236.2013.790797

1465-3869

Kari Kvigne, Marit Kirkevold, Randi Martinsen, Berit Arnsveen Bronken,

Sex and Gender in Healthcare

AbstractStroke is a major cause of disability in the Western world, changing not only to the victim's body but also his or her lifestyle. Men tend to experience stroke at a younger age than women. Most people understand stroke as a disease of the elderly, however, this study looks at the effects of stroke on the young adult male. Adolescence, and young- and middle-adulthood are the periods in which the intergenerational dialectics and the interactions between society and the individual are most salient, as it is during these periods that people are completing their education, launching careers, forming intimate relationships, establishing a family and developing an identity. Serious chronic illnesses during these periods may threaten a man's taken-for-granted masculinity. Studies also show that men suffering chronic illness negotiate and renegotiate their masculinity in light of the limitations placed on them by their own and others' understanding of the social and personal consequences of their disease. This current single case study with a narrative approach is drawn from a larger phenomenological study of 16 men suffering from stroke and aims to explore how masculinity is challenged in a young stroke survivor's life. One survivor experienced challenges to his masculinity with respect to those characteristics of masculinity described by Connell and Courtenay: being the family breadwinner, strength, toughness, power, control and independence.Keywords:: strokemasculinityConnellgender and chronic illnessView correction statement:Erratum Notes1. John is not the real name of the stroke survivor presented in this paper. In order to retain the subject's confidentiality we used the pseudonym of John.2. In Norway, people with long-lasting health care needs have the right to a coordinated personal care plan which includes help from different types of health care professionals.This article was originally published with errors. This version has been corrected. Please see Erratum (http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2013.802553).Additional informationNotes on contributorsKari KvigneMarit Kirkevold is professor at Department of Nursing Science, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo and is the head of the research group of CHARM (Research Centre for Habilitation and Rehabilitation Models & Services) and GEOF (Research on Caring for the elderly). Kirkevold has conducted research and published articles, reports and book chapters on different topics, for examples to live with chronic illnesses, psychosocial adaptation and coping, aging and nursing theory.Marit KirkevoldKari Kvigne is an associate professor at Hedmark University College, Faculty of Public Health, Department of Nursing and Mental Health and associate professor at Sogn og Fjordane University College, Faculty of Health Studies. She is the Head of Nursing Research at Hedmark University College, department Her research interest is on gender and health, stroke, palliative care, dementia care and loneliness among the elderly. Kvigne has conducted research and published articles on stroke and gender (from a feminist perspective) and psychosocial rehabilitation after stroke.Randi MartinsenRandi Martinsen is doctoral student at Department of Nursing Science, Institute for Health and Society, University of Oslo and an assistant professor at Department of Nursing and Mental Health, Hedmark University College. She is conducting research on psychosocial rehabilitation following a stroke, particularly young stroke survivors, based on a complex intervention. Martinsen has published articles based on this topic.Berit Arnsveen BronkenBerit Bronken is a doctoral student at the University of Oslo, Department of Nursing Science, Institute for Health and Society and an assistant professor at Hedmark University College, Faculty of Public Health, Department of Nursing and Mental Health. She is conducting research on psychosocial rehabilitation of patients suffering from stroke and aphasia based on complex intervention. Bronken has published articles on this topic.