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Article: Prostate cancer and the social construction of masculine sexual identity.(Brief Report)(Report)
- Article from:
- International Journal of Men's Health
- Article date:
- September 22, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 Men's Studies Press. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Perhaps no other disease illustrates the social construction of masculine identity more vividly than prostate cancer, an illness whose common symptoms and treatment effects (for example, erectile dysfunction and incontinence) leave men with a diminished sense of agency over their bodies. This loss of agency reveals the ways in which societal norms regarding appropriate masculine sexual behavior and identity are cultural creations, not biological absolutes. Recalling prior studies of prostate cancer narratives and studies of prostate cancer support groups, this article inquires not only into dominant constructions of sexuality, but also into the possibilities of redefining ...