Subjectivities of rural men with cardiovascular problems: care, threats, and masculinity affirmations

Abstract

The article discusses daily subjectivities that may undermine or (re)affirm masculinity and thus alienate rural men from taking care of their health. Through a qualitative approach, the research was conducted within a rural community in a municipality in the south of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) and involved twelve male participants who experienced chronic heart disease. The findings illustrate different actions which were elected by the respondents as threats to their masculinity and that, therefore, should be avoided or denied, leading to an affirmation of gender stereotypes. The analyses made clear that certain prescriptions associated with masculinity, such as the belief in invulnerability, the role of the provider and the link between self care and femininity, may cause physical, mental, and social harm to men, especially during old age, when the boundaries between goals and possibilities become further apart. Focusing on the rural aspect, the study provides ideas for the development of actions towards men’s health promotion, taking into consideration their life context plurality and bringing the farmer’s life sphere and all its productive particularities, which shape health scenarios, to the discussion.