The Psychology of Gender 4th Edition

388 Chapter 10

Taken collectively, different

explanations are more and less relevant to

men and women. A few health behaviors

explain a good portion of men’s higher

mortality rates compared to women. These

health behaviors can be construed in terms

of a larger framework reflecting men’s risk-

taking behavior. Women’s higher morbidity

rates are more likely to reflect women’s

social roles than their health behaviors.

explanation for this sex difference is that

women have fewer fixed role obligations than

men, and fewer role obligations are associated

with a greater willingness to respond to health

problems. Women use health services more

frequently than men, but the sex difference

is limited to minor symptoms. In the case

of serious illness, there is less evidence that

either women or men are more likely to seek

the attention of a health care professional.

1. How do sex and race influence the
   leading causes of death?


2. Under what conditions do you be-
   lieve physicians are more or less
   likely to make a similar diagnosis in a
   male and a female who present with
   the same symptoms of heart disease?


3. Which health behaviors pose greater
   risks to women’s health, and which
   health behaviors pose greater risk to
   men’s health?


4. What are the reasons that women
   are less successful than men in
   quitting smoking?


5. Discuss how sex differences in
   smoking, drinking alcohol, and drug
   usage have changed over time.
   6. Given our culture’s increasing
   health consciousness, in particular,
   the emphasis on diet and exercise,
   why do you think rates of obesity
   have increased?
   7. What are some of the reasons that
   women report more pain than men?
   8. Why are nurturant roles hazardous
   to health?
   9. How could you test the fixed role
   obligations hypothesis today?


6. Discuss how to determine if men
   and women actually perceive
   symptoms differently.


7. In what ways are men’s and wom-
   en’s responses to illness similar and
   different?

Discussion Questions

Addis, M. E., & Mahalik, J. R. (2003).

Men, masculinity, and the contexts of

help seeking.American Psychologist, 58,

5–14.

Addis, S., Davies, M, Greene, G.,

MacBride-Stewart, S., & Shepherd, M.

(2009). The health, social care, and

housing needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual

and transgender older people: A review

of the literature.Health and Social Care in

the Community, 17, 647–658.

Courtenay, W. H. (2000a). Constructions

of masculinity and their influence on

men’s well-being. A theory of gender and

health.Social Science and Medicine, 50,

1385–1401.

Suggested Reading

M10_HELG0185_04_SE_C10.indd 388 6/21/11 8:54 AM