Masculinity and Identity
Young Pasifika Male Athletes, Mental Wellbeing, and the Navigation of Intersectional Identities in New Zealand Professional Rugby
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Caleb Panapa Edward Marsters
Recent academic studies and increased media reporting across Australasia have linked young Pasifika male professional rugby players to depression, suicide, and other adverse mental health-related events. Despite this knowledge, little is known about this group's perceptions and experiences of identity and mental wellbeing. The aim of this study was to explore young Pacific male athletes’ definitions, perceptions, and experiences of mental wellbeing and identity development in elite rugby. This qualitative study involved 20 face-to-face interviews with young Pasifika males (16-24 years) engaged with professional rugby union and rugby league clubs in Auckland, New Zealand. Findings expose the distinct sociocultural pressures and identity issues participants endure, as well as the balancing of the relational self against the backdrop of hypermasculinity, hypervisibility, and the substantial mana (prestige) attached to success in elite sports. Protective factors are also brought to the fore to shape definitions of what positive mental wellbeing is for young Pasifika male athletes in New Zealand professional rugby. Mental wellbeing is defined as holistic and the culmination of several interconnected factors for these young men. Having club staff who understood the unique sociocultural pressures facing young Pasifika male athletes and the maintenance of a balanced athletic identity and positive social relations were identified as essential to sustaining mental wellbeing for participants. Despite these findings, participants regularly struggled to maintain a balanced athletic identity in the face of often conflicting family, community, education, and sporting obligations.
Fourth and Long: Hegemonic Masculinity and Women in Fantasy Football
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Scott O Sullivan
The purpose of this paper is to develop a deeper understanding of the concept of hegemonic masculinity through inquiry into previous studies conducted on the topic in various social settings including workplaces, schools, and in sport organizations. Furthermore, upon establishing a comprehension of hegemonic masculinity and how it impacts different social groups within our society, the theory will be applied to gain understanding into how hegemonic masculinity impacts women in the booming industry and social venue of fantasy football. Finally, through auto-ethnographic research, this report will illustrate how the behaviours associated with hegemonic masculinity are used by some men as a protective barrier to stop women from entering into stereotypical hyper-masculinized environments, such as a fantasy football league, and provide insights into the changing social environment.Â
