OHTN Chair in Black Women's HIV Prevention and Care, School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8M5, Canada.
School of Child and Youth Care, Faculty of Human and Social Development, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
Can J Public Health. 2022 Aug;113(4):611-621. doi: 10.17269/s41997-021-00596-3. Epub 2022 Mar 15.
The dominant discourse in literature often constructs heterosexual African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) masculinity as inherently problematic and in need of "correction, repair, or rescue." This discourse privileges hegemonic male standards and conceals the power relations that shape racialized masculinities. Our study of self-identified heterosexual ACB men and male youth examines how performative and perceptual attenuations of hegemonic masculinity can moderate social and behavioural vulnerabilities in the context of HIV prevention, transmission, and survival.
We used descriptive qualitative methods informed by community-based participatory research. Individual in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with 63 ACB men and male youth (aged 16 and above) residing in Ottawa, Canada, including community leaders, HIV service providers, and decision makers. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, and thematically analyzed with NVivo software. Member-checking, peer debriefing, and external audit ensured trustworthiness of data.
ACB men and male youth define masculinity by their ability to provide for, protect, love, and lead their families. Within ACB cultures, men demonstrate their masculinity through their traditional role as family breadwinners, and are expected to be strong, bold, and responsible. This positive view of masculinity is potentially beneficial to the well-being of ACB men and male youth, and challenges mainstream notions of Black masculinity as uncontrolled, risky, toxic, or even predatory.
A positive view of masculinity among ACB heterosexual men and youth could support future practice and policy interventions aimed at strengthening community responses to HIV and health.
文献中的主流话语常常将异性恋非裔加勒比和黑人（ACB）男性气质构建为固有问题，并需要“纠正、修复或救援”。这种话语偏爱霸权男性标准，并掩盖了塑造种族化男性气质的权力关系。我们对自我认同的异性恋 ACB 男性和男性青年的研究考察了在 HIV 预防、传播和生存背景下，霸权男性气质的表现和感知衰减如何缓和社会和行为上的脆弱性。
我们使用基于社区参与性研究的描述性定性方法。对居住在加拿大渥太华的 63 名 ACB 男性和男性青年（年龄在 16 岁及以上）进行了个体深入访谈和焦点小组讨论，包括社区领袖、艾滋病毒服务提供者和决策者。访谈逐字记录，并使用 NVivo 软件进行主题分析。成员检查、同行汇报和外部审计确保了数据的可信度。
ACB 男性和男性青年通过为家庭提供、保护、爱和领导家庭的能力来定义男性气质。在 ACB 文化中，男性通过作为家庭养家糊口的传统角色来展示他们的男子气概，并被期望坚强、勇敢和负责任。这种对男性气质的积极看法对 ACB 男性和男性青年的福祉是有益的，挑战了主流的黑人男性气质观念，即无法控制、危险、有毒甚至掠夺性的观念。
ACB 异性恋男性和青年对男性气质的积极看法可以支持未来旨在加强社区对 HIV 和健康问题应对的实践和政策干预。
