Global perspectives on manhood and masculinity

Abstract

The special issue includes several articles that explore the essence of manhood and masculinity. While the articles make significant contributions on their own, readers will benefit from drawing observations from the group of manuscripts. A primary theme emerging from the articles is how cultures, nationalities, religious beliefs, and individual variability make it nearly impossible to define or measure the construct with any semblance of validity. Given the difficulty of adequately measuring the construct, findings from research examining studies to do with manhood and masculinity are likely limited to the specific contexts where data was collected. While studies may produce interesting findings worthy of publication, serious caution is reasonable in any attempts to generalize findings, or imply expertise and understanding of manhood and masculinity beyond the bounds of a sample used in a particular study. Treading carefully with humility is probably wise for all health and human service professionals seeking the best available evidence for practice decisions involving gender. Therefore, a critical lens is necessary for discerning the credibility of the recent practice guidelines with boys and men published by the American Psychological Association (APA). At best, the guidelines will encourage further inquiry-driven thought about manhood and masculinity. At worst, they add to the fading credibility of the APA to inform practice.