Den begränsande maskuliniteten : En kvalitativ innehållsanalys av hur maskulinitet problematiseras av unga män på YouTube

The aim of the study was to explore how masculinity is problematized by young men to create a better understanding for how specific masculinity ideal and norms may affect men’s tendency to seek help for, and cope with, emotional problems. The method chosen for this study was a qualitative analysis of two different YouTube-videos with masculinity as a subject. To analyse my result, I used Connell’s theory of the Hegemonic Masculinity and the theory of Gender-Construction and Gender Norms. The men in the study’s samples described how specific norms of masculinity had limited them in everyday life. The men’s understanding of masculinity had affected how they seek help and cope with emotional problems since their image of masculinity included that a man should be sexistic, strong and non-emotional. They created their gender identity based on prevailing gender norms and a main effort was to avoid being socially perceived as feminine, since they would then risk falling in rang within the hegemonic masculinity hierarchy and this could lead to diminished social status. The perception of masculinity had reduced the men’s resources to cope with emotional problems and affected the men’s mental health negatively