“The Landscape's Changed and No One's Giving them a New Map”: Positive Masculinity in Boys and Young Men

Background: Rigid adherence to traditional masculine norms is associated with mental ill-health. Positive masculinities have been proposed as more flexible, inclusive, and authentic ways of being, whereby boys and men can embody key human strengths essential to their well-being. Methods: We interviewed 12 school-aged young men, 11 teachers, and 8 parents and employed thematic analysis to examine how positive masculinity is constructed within an Australian all-boys school. Results: Young men endorsed positive masculine traits, such as acceptance of diversity and emotional disclosure. However, as emerging norms competed with traditional ones, some young men were left without a clear idea of ‘how to be’ masculine in the current social and political climate. Conclusions: Results from the present study support going beyond rhetorical messaging espousing what not to do (ie, a deficit-based approach), in advance of simultaneous education regarding what to do instead (ie, a strengths-based approach) when working with young men.