An affective-discursive analysis of Southern Finnish men's perspectives on masculinities and femininities in the context of health at work

Recent studies suggest that the potential conflict between health-awareness and masculinity has become less relevant due to men's adaptation to post-industrialization and labor markets affected by neoliberalism. The concept of hybrid masculinity, which refers to men's incorporation of practices associated with femininities and discursive distancing from masculinities, has been repeatedly used in this discussion. Yet, men's affective meaning-making around masculinities and femininities has been left relatively underexplored. Drawing on 18 interviews with Southern Finnish men of varying ages and socio-economic backgrounds, this article explores men's affective meaning-making around work-related health behaviors associated with masculinities and femininities. This study shows that these men demonstrate sympathy and admiration for some femininities and make frustrated remarks about masculinities involving neglect of emotional and bodily needs. However, they also construct masculinity as an illness-like mentality and men as victims of masculinity, rather than its proactive producers. Moreover, gender-flexible health behaviors are constructed as valuable insofar as they meet the needs of the organization and work process, and they are positioned in contrast to effeminacy and selfishness. This study demonstrates that men's gender flexibility in constructing a competent self in working life is compatible with affective meaning-making that maintains misogyny and symbolic boundaries between genders.