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Gynecomastia, Hegemonic Masculinity, and Stigma: Researching Male Corporeal Deviance

Huber, Wesley Blake
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1349640475

Abstract Details

2012, MA, Kent State University, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology and Criminology.
In the social sciences, little is known about gynecomastia – a condition where males can develop obtrusive breasts. Because males with gynecomastia can exhibit bodies significantly different from current hegemonic standards of masculinity, breasted-men may be subject to stigmatization and subordination. I examine how “normative” conceptualizations of the male body affect the experiences of males with gynecomastia, and how those experiences may change following male mastectomy. Using a grounded theory approach (Corbin and Strauss 1990), I conduct a qualitative content analysis of online dialogues by males with gynecomastia, their significant others, and parents of children with gynecomastia. I find that dominant ideals about masculinity and the male body inform breasted-men that their chests are “abnormal,” despite statistical data suggesting otherwise. Stemming from these hegemonic ideals, males with gynecomastia are often stigmatized, resulting in embarrassment, distress, and a perception of personal devaluation. In response, these stigmatized individuals employ various stigma management techniques to mitigate the ill-effects associated with their “condition.” Moreover, I find that many males with gynecomastia desire and benefit from social support and, among those breasted-men who undergo aesthetic surgery, breast reduction results in increased psychosocial well-being. I conclude by explicating the contributions this line of research offers to the scientific community, the limitations of the present study, and suggestions for future areas of inquiry regarding the breasted-male population.
Clare Stacey, PhD (Committee Chair)
Richard Adams, PhD (Committee Member)
David Purcell, PhD (Committee Member)
60 p.
Sociology
Hegemonic Masculinity; Stigma; Gynecomastia; Male Bodies; Mastectomy

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Huber, W. B. (2012). Gynecomastia, Hegemonic Masculinity, and Stigma: Researching Male Corporeal Deviance [Master's thesis, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1349640475

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Huber, Wesley. Gynecomastia, Hegemonic Masculinity, and Stigma: Researching Male Corporeal Deviance. 2012. Kent State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1349640475.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Huber, Wesley. "Gynecomastia, Hegemonic Masculinity, and Stigma: Researching Male Corporeal Deviance." Master's thesis, Kent State University, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1349640475

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

kent1349640475
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© 2012, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Kent State University and OhioLINK.