A religion of wellbeing? The appeal of Buddhism to men in London, United Kingdom.

Abstract

This is the accepted version of the paper.This version of the publication may differ from the final published version. subjective wellbeing), and social terms (e.g., offering a supportive social network). From a gendered perspective, Buddhism offered men the opportunity to rework their masculine identity in ways that enhanced their wellbeing. This was a complex development, in which traditional masculine norms were upheld (e.g., Buddhism was constructed as a 'rational' framework of ideas/practices), yet also challenged (e.g., norms around alcohol abstinence). Permanent repository linkOur study offers new insights into the hazards and the attractions -particularly for men -of engaging with Buddhism.

Religious conversion among high security hospital patients: a qualitative analysis of patients’ accounts and experiences on changing faith

“…For Participant 3, the practices within Buddhism were particularly appealing; meditation being the fundamental attraction due to its rewarding after-effects on well-being. This notion is supported 210 by previous research that has explored reasons why men are drawn to Buddhism (Lomas, Cartwright, Edginton, & Ridge, 2014). Interestingly, despite declaring loyalty to his current faith, the old faith also provided Participant 3 with a high level of satisfaction.…”

Mindfulness-based interventions in the workplace: An inclusive systematic review and meta-analysis of their impact upon wellbeing

“…As such, the way in which teachings have been formulated and presented in MBIs like MBSR potentially holds more appeal and familiarity to participants who are also from this North American context (Wilson, 2014). Regarding the fourth factor (more women in the intervention group), researchers are beginning to look at mindfulness through the prism of gender (see e.g., Lomas et al, 2013Lomas et al, , 2014Lomas et al, , 2016, drawing on literature which suggests men may have more difficulty than women in engaging with their emotions (e.g., due to the socialisation of masculinity norms such as invulnerability and stoicism) (Courtenay, 2000). In that light, it is understandable that females may be relatively more responsive to developing qualities such as compassion through meditation then men.…”

A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Impact of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on the Well-Being of Healthcare Professionals

“…In that respect, besides quantitatively tracking participation, studies could incorporate a qualitative element to their assessment (see Lomas, Cartwright, Edginton, and Ridge (2013, 2014a, 2014b MBSR and MBCT, rather that creating bespoke programmes or adaptations. Having said that though, we also recognise the value of moving beyond MBIs developed primarily for clinical contexts (e.g., MBSR), and creating MBIs specifically for the workplace, including for particular types of occupation (e.g., HCPs).…”