Insecure Masculinity

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This work examines the interplay between childhood socialization, masculinities, and the coming-of-age experiences of young men in contemporary Jamaica. The author explores the social, cultural, and historical contexts of young men's lives, theorizing the potential paths toward emotional well-being or distress in relation to gender norms and interpersonal relationships, including kinship and courtship. Through fieldwork, the book details how social discourses surrounding masculinity and individual experiences of mental health are perpetuated in Jamaica. Positioned within contemporary psychological and medical anthropology, the author seeks to bridge the often-separated realms of psyche, body, and environment prevalent in psychotherapy and health sciences. This endeavor is pursued through critical ethnography and an analysis of dominant narratives in media and popular culture. In contrast to global mental health initiatives, the work emphasizes that well-being, affliction, and suffering cannot be adequately understood as merely quantifiable mental states. The text includes sections on research methods, the Jamaican social dilemma, representations of masculinity and vulnerability, mental health and emotion, and concludes with reflections and a bibliography.