Mister In-between: a Case Study of Masculine Identity and Health-related Behaviour

The study of young men's health-related behaviour offers an opportunity to examine the links between masculine identity and social behaviour. This article presents a case study of a 19-year-old man living in London, who describes himself as different to his peers on several important dimensions, including his engagement in health-related behaviours. The case study demonstrates the importance of health-related social behaviours such as drinking, drug use, physical activity, sport and sexual behaviour in the construction of a masculine identity. This case study also reveals that the way in which men position themselves in relation to different discourses of masculinity can have important implications not only for their masculine identities, but also for their health-related behaviour.