Abstract
Masculinity as a cultural construct shapes the world view and expectations of males promoting resilience, emotional suppression, and engagement in risk-taking behavior and violence. This, in combination with the resultant prohibition of emotional expression, predisposes males to mental health disorders. The collectivist patriarchal nature of societal structuring merges with traditional gender roles in the Arab world, creating a unique set of duties and obligations that help shape the Arab male. This chapter discusses the effect of masculinity as a cultural construct. We focus on its effects on mental health disorders and creation of the “vicious cycle of noxious masculinity,” which not only helps create mental health illness but also contributes to its perpetuation. We also provide two examples of males with depression and attempt to demonstrate that masculinity, as a social construct, is both a contributor to the pathophysiology of depression and the reluctance by males to seek professional help in managing their depression.
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El Halabi, S., Founouni, Z.N., Arawi, T. (2019). Social Construction of Arab Masculinity and Its Effects on Mental Health. In: Laher, I. (eds) Handbook of Healthcare in the Arab World. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74365-3_175-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74365-3_175-1
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