Hegemonic Masculinity and the Ideal Male Hockey Player: The Constructions of NHL Injuries in Popular Canadian Newspapers, 2016-2017

This study critically examines the constructions of men’s hockey injuries in five popular Canadian newspapers published during the 2016-2017 NHL season. I draw on feminist theory and social constructionism and conduct a critical discourse analysis of 199 newspaper articles to examine media narratives, understand taken-for-granted assumptions about men’s hockey injuries and masculinities, and capture the role of language in producing, reproducing, and challenging hegemonic masculinity. I argue that the injury discourse, which constructs men’s injuries, the body, and male hockey players, is rooted in hegemonic masculinity. Specifically, I find that these discursive constructions include: the normalization of injuries as part of the game; injuries as a threat to player success; bodies are for the team; the injured body as an assemblage of parts; the commodified, durable, aged, and replaceable injured body; playing hurt as respectable; health as the responsibility of male hockey players; and the construction of the triumphant return. I conclude and argue that the injury discourse is less about injuries, health, or well-being, and more about validating and recreating hegemonic masculinity. As a discursive site and through injury talk, I find that within these popular newspapers, the ideal male hockey player is produced – one who plays hurt and hides injuries, sacrifices their body, and puts themselves in danger for their team. The ideal male hockey player operates like a machine; he is durable, young, takes care of his health, and when injured, returns unharmed to redeem himself. I show that a particular way of being a man is rewarded through encouragement and admiration. And any actions that do not conform to the ideal male hockey player are discouraged and labelled as unmanly. I do find evidence that the injury discourse is beginning to challenge hegemonic masculinity; I refer to this as ‘the humanized injury’ where emotions, thoughts, and experiences of injured players are validated and thus challenge and contest hegemonic masculinity. Overall, I conclude that the injury discourse reinforces sport as a gendered and gendering institution and reproduces dominant masculine health practices which have implications for men’s health generally. In making visible the ways that injuries are constructed, I open the possibility for parents, hockey coaches, league officials, and sport writers to offer alternative messages. Without alternative messages, harmful health practices will continue to be understood as the only legitimate and acceptable view of health in men’s hockey

JST Editorial: Social Problems, Social Solutions

This editorial is an introduction to the second published volume of the Journal for Social Thought (JST) written by Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Elgie and Deputy Editor Rachelle Miele. We first offer some thoughts on social change as an elusive, and often contentious, goal within sociology, and within academia more broadly. We then present an overview of this special issue Social Problems, Social Solutions by outlining the contributions of two papers that seek to demonstrate how theory can be used to understand social problems and work towards social change

JST Editorial: Social Problems, Social Solutions

This editorial is an introduction to the second published volume of the Journal for Social Thought (JST) written by Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Elgie and Deputy Editor Rachelle Miele. We first offer some thoughts on social change as an elusive, and often contentious, goal within sociology, and within academia more broadly. We then present an overview of this special issue "Social Problems, Social Solutions" by outlining the contributions of two papers that seek to demonstrate how theory can be used to understand social problems and work towards social change

Towards a Feminist Research Ethics of Care: Reflections, Lessons, and Methodological Considerations for Doing Research During a Pandemic

Conducting feminist research during the global COVID-19 pandemic has evoked a renewed interest in the concept of care within our research team. The purpose of this paper is to provide concrete examples of how feminist ethics of care changed the initial and ongoing design of a community-engaged research project in Ontario, Canada. Drawing from examples and lessons learned, we focus on various adjustments to our methodological decision-making that intentionally honoured and prioritized our responsibilities to community partners, research participants, broader communities impacted by research, and the research team. By illustrating the methodological and ethical implications of these decisions, we argue that attending to these responsibilities prioritized both feminist research ethics and feminist ethics of care. As a result, we propose moving towards a conceptualization of a feminist research ethics of care, and discuss the value of this concept for researchers studying social justice