She reads, he reads: gender differences and learning through self-help books

McLean, Scott; Kapell, Brandi

doi:10.3384/rela.2000-7426.rela0138

Cited by 12 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Houle et al ( 34 ) point out that a possible explanation for this preference may be that women express and talk about their feelings more easily. In terms of gender differences, women in our study showed stronger preferences for alternative treatment and self-help literature which is in line with other studies ( 47 , 48 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Preferences for Depression Treatment Including Internet-Based Interventions: Results From a Large Sample of Primary Care Patients

et al. 2018

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Background: To date, little is known about treatment preferences for depression concerning new media. This study aims to (1) investigate treatment preferences for depression including internet-based interventions and (2) examine subgroup differences concerning age, gender and severity of depression as well as patient-related factors associated with treatment preferences.Methods: Data were derived from the baseline assessment of the @ktiv-trial. Depression treatment preferences were assessed from n = 641 primary care patients with mild to moderate depression regarding the following treatments: medication, psychotherapy, combined treatment, alternative treatment, talking to friends and family, exercise, self-help literature, and internet-based interventions. Depression severity was specified by GPs according to ICD-10 criteria. Ordinal logistic regression models were conducted to identify associated factors of treatment preferences.Results: Patients had a mean age of 43.9 years (SD = 13.8) and more than two thirds (68.6%) were female. About 43% of patients had mild depression while 57% were diagnosed with moderate depression. The majority of patients reported strong preferences for psychotherapy, talking to friends and family, and exercise. About one in five patients was very likely to consider internet-based interventions in case of depression. Younger patients expressed significantly stronger treatment preferences for psychotherapy and internet-based interventions than older patients. The most salient factors associated with treatment preferences were the patients' education and perceived self-efficacy.Conclusions: Patients with depression report individually different treatment preferences.Our results underline the importance of shared decision-making within primary care. Future studies should investigate treatment preferences for different types of internet-based interventions.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Preferences for Depression Treatment Including Internet-Based Interventions: Results From a Large Sample of Primary Care Patients

et al. 2018

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“…For purposes of this article, we focus our analysis exclusively on the forty-five male research participants. Readers wishing further details regarding gender differences in self-help reading, or regarding women reading self-help books, should consult our recently published articles McLean, 2014/2015;McLean and Kapell, 2015). Table 1 provides sociodemographic information about each of the twenty-one interviewees whose responses are cited in this article.…”

Section: Research Methods and Participantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

From Getting Ahead to Getting Back on One’s Feet: Performing Masculinity as a Self-help Reader

McLean

Vermeylen

2017

Men and Masculinities

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Despite the fact that millions of men engage in self-help reading, there has been little scholarly research about the reception of self-help texts by male readers. We explore how men read self-help books through presenting the results of forty-five qualitative interviews with readers of books in the domains of career and financial success, health and well-being, and interpersonal relationships. Our interviewees expressed awareness of the stigmatized role of the male self-help reader and performed two patterns of masculinity, influenced by hegemonic ideals, within this context: the resourceful man getting ahead in life; and the wounded man getting back on his feet. A small proportion of our interviewees challenged conventional notions of masculinity, demonstrating the potential for men to read self-help books in diverse ways. Our findings shed important insight into how men read self-help books and into the performance of masculinity in the context of such reading.

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“…Data for this article are drawn from research conducted in 2012 to explore the learning experiences and outcomes involved in reading self-help books relating to career success, interpersonal relationships, or health and well-being. That research has led to a series of publications examining self-help reading as a form of public pedagogy, with implications for a range of topics of interest to adult educators: self-directed learning, life course transitions, generational differences, mental health, and the reproduction of gender identities and inequities (Kapell & McLean, 2014; McLean 2013, 2014, in press; McLean & Kapell, in press; McLean & Vermeylen, 2014; Vermeylen & McLean, 2014). For purposes of the current article, the interviewees from this broader study of self-help reading constitute a sample of adults engaged in forms of learning closely associated with “neoliberal times.” It is important to note that we are not arguing that the experience of self-help reading has caused these research participants to form subjectivities that are relatively more individually autonomous or socially engaged; rather, we are exploring the subjectivities of adult learners who had read at least one self-help book in the year prior to our interviewing them.…”

Section: Research Methods and Participantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Individual Autonomy or Social Engagement? Adult Learners in Neoliberal Times

McLean

2015

Adult Education Quarterly

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Numerous scholars have documented and critiqued the predominance of neoliberal policies and rationalities shaping adult and continuing education around the world. Contemporary sociologists have argued that neoliberal citizens are characterized by hyperindividuality and a strong sense of personal autonomy. Self-help reading is widely viewed as one of the most neoliberal forms of adult learning. In this article, we challenge recent claims about the autonomy of the neoliberal subject through reporting results of qualitative research undertaken with 134 readers of self-help books. Using an innovative approach to explore people's self-characterizations, we argue that contemporary patterns of subjectivity may be more complex and socially engaged than those implied by prevailing accounts of our neoliberal times. Our findings are important for those seeking to understand the changing nature of adult learners, and for those seeking to understand the complex interplay of discourse and subjectivity in the contemporary field of adult education.

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She reads, he reads: gender differences and learning through self-help books

Cited by 12 publications

References 41 publications

Preferences for Depression Treatment Including Internet-Based Interventions: Results From a Large Sample of Primary Care Patients

Preferences for Depression Treatment Including Internet-Based Interventions: Results From a Large Sample of Primary Care Patients

From Getting Ahead to Getting Back on One’s Feet: Performing Masculinity as a Self-help Reader

Individual Autonomy or Social Engagement? Adult Learners in Neoliberal Times

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