Description
Gendered cancers, such as prostate cancer, have shown to fundamentally shake cis-gendered identities. One of the most commonly used prostate cancer treatment, a surgical remove of prostate gland (prostatectomy), produces ‘bodies without governance’ by causing long-term side effects, such as urinary leaking and erectile problems. Therefore, prostatectomy often leads men fear of losing their masculinity and conventional cis-gendered identity, and sometimes refer themselves as ‘half a man’ or ‘not a man at all’.Based on their qualitative meta-analysis on men’s illness narratives of post- prostatectomy, Thompson and Futterman (2022; 2023) suggest that men come to live with their anatomically changed bodies by practicing ‘hybrid post-surgical masculinities’. This concept refers to men’s multiple tactical reconfigurations and rebuilding techniques of a public masculine person during a prostate cancer journey. The authors point out that ‘hybrid post-surgical masculinities’ are closely connected to men’s age as older men seem to be more open to qualities attached to ‘hybrid masculinities’ than younger men. In this presentation we test Thompson and Futterman’s conceptualization based on interviews with 39 Finnish cis-heterosexual prostate cancer patients (aged 50-86) who have undergone prostatectomy.
| Period | 12 Jun 2025 |
|---|---|
| Event title | Men and Masculinities in Transition |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Stockholm, SwedenShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |