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Men's perspectives of caring for a female partner with cancer: A longitudinal narrative study
Author(s) -
Young Jenny,
Snowden Austyn,
Kyle Richard G.,
Stenhouse Rosie
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
health and social care in the community
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.984
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1365-2524
pISSN - 0966-0410
DOI - 10.1111/hsc.13956
Subject(s) - narrative , negotiation , longitudinal study , narrative inquiry , psychology , gender studies , medicine , sociology , social science , art , literature , pathology
Increasing evidence on men's involvement in informal, unpaid care has not transferred to the research literature around men's experiences . The aim was to explore the perspectives of men who are caring for a female partner with cancer over 1 year. Longitudinal narrative interviews ( n = 22) were conducted with eight men in the UK from 2018 to 2019. Participants were aged from 32 to 76 years old, were all white British and in heterosexual relationships with women diagnosed with a range of cancer types. Interviews were transcribed and then analysed using a structural and performance approach to narrative analysis. We present, across four scenes, a process of change, transition and emotion management as the men were launched into a role that came with new responsibilities and expectations. Our study advances knowledge by highlighting the way that men perform and reflect on their negotiation with masculine discourses while supporting their partner, with implications for policy, research and practice.