Gender conditioning and social norms have a major influence on one’s beliefs as well as their behaviors. Gender conditioning consists of all ideas of how men and women should act under different conditions (Courtenay, 2012). Occasionally gender conditioning and social norms are often internalized during early life and continue throughout one life (Courtenay, 2012). On most occasions, gender conditioning and social norms influence how different people behave, their health behaviors, and help-seeking habits.
According to the formative years that I grew in, the formulated social norms and gender conditioned made me believe that men die quickly than men, an aspect that was attributed to their health-seeking behaviors. In my society, most men believed that going to hospitals was a waste of time; as a result, they would sit at home and wait for their immune systems to fight the diseases. Additionally, my society believed that the inherent biological differences between men and women are among the factors that predispose them to suffer from different conditions. For instance, women were prone to suffer from conditions such as depression and dementia, while men were prone to suffer from cardiovascular diseases. Based on the different views that men and women hold on health, most men failed to visit health care institutions hence contributing to their increased mortality cases.
The gender conditioning and social norms that I experienced during my formative years have also influenced my health-seeking behaviors. For instance, since I believe that certain medical conditions are prone among men, that in women, I am always hesitant to go to the hospital to seek medical help but instead rely on traditional medication. However, after interacting with people from different backgrounds in contemporary societies, my perception of health has greatly changed. I believe that both men and women can suffer from any medical condition and should seek the appropriate health care services. Based on my changed perception, I am currently proactive in seeking medical services when I feel unwell.
When comparing the ideas with the readings, my health beliefs and behaviors tend to be one of the many exceptions. This is attributed to the fact that both men and women can suffer from a wide range of conditions and hence should always be proactive in seeking the necessary help and should not seek health services based on formulated gender norms.
Discussion Question
Considering that you are a health professional, how would you influence the health-seeking behaviors of individuals who follow traditionally established norms?
Reference
Courtenay, W. H. (2012). Constructions of masculinity and their influence on men’s well-being: a theory of gender and health. Social science & medicine, 50(10), 1385-1401.
