Men's Sheds: An Insight Into What Works

Men’s Sheds: an insight into what

works

Dave Fildes1, Dr Andrea Waling2 3,

1 - Australian Health Services Research Institute, University of Wollongong

2- School of Social Sciences, Monash University

3 - Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health & Society, La Trobe University

What is a men’s shed?

A community organisation

where men can:

Share and develop skills

Enjoy each others company

Make new friends

Develop self-worth

Feel less isolated

The rapid growth of men’s sheds

Men’s sheds are rapidly growing in numbers:

Originated in Australia in the mid-1990s

2006 – 125 community-based men’s sheds

The Australian Men’s Shed Association formed

in 2007

Currently approximately 1,000 sheds with over

50,000 members attending regularly

Men’s sheds and health outcomes

They are seen as a positive approach to men’s health and social needs

They are relevant to contemporary health promotion practices as they focus on individual empowerment:

+ + self-esteem + + personal control + + health outcomes

Men’s Sheds – Typology

Occupational – a formal workspace where skills

can be maintained, regained or learned – often a

social enterprise model

Clinical or therapeutic – personal and social

skills are developed and social connectedness is

a focus as is enhancing health outcomes

Men’s Sheds – Typology

Recreational – the workshop environment is

incidental and the focus is more on social activity

Educational – an informal context for learning

with alongside other men to develop knowledge

skills and attitude

Communal- offering services to help local male

community to interact

The Building Healthy Men Project

Operating a men’s shed for four groups of men:

Multicultural men’s group

Middle eastern men’s group

Homeless men’s group

Refugee men’s group

Area covered by the project

Goals and aims

Build up and enhance self-esteem, social support,

sense of purpose and community connectedness

Develop and refine practical skills

Connect men into community projects and activities in

which they can actively participate.

Activities

We split the men’s activities into thirds:

1/3rd of time working on their own projects

1/3rd of time on group activities

1/3rd of time working on community projects

Previous Evaluation Results

Evaluation results demonstrated improvements in:

Self-esteem

Social connectedness

Feelings of Health and well-being

Improvements in health status (incl. mental health)

Men’s community participation and capacity

Fildes, D., Y. Cass, et al. (2010) Shedding light on men: The Building Healthy Men Project. Journal of Men's Health. Vol. 7(3): pp.233-240.

Background to this study

Under financial duress Healthy Cities Illawarra decided to conduct a community level needs analysis to answer the following research questions:

What do the men who attend the shed want from the Building Healthy Men project? and

What can Healthy Cities Illawarra do to keep the program running effectively?

Methodology

The team employed a mixed methodology consisting of:

Survey

Interviews

Focus groups

The Social Survey

The purpose of the survey was threefold:

To identify the overall effectiveness of the program with regard to health and social well-being

To identify potential areas of improvement, and

To rate the men’s overall satisfaction of the program

The Interview and Focus Groups

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 of the men

Interviews were conducted both individually and in small group settings

Results

Satisfaction with the

program

Themes

– Health & Recovery

– Socialisation & Support

– Confidence, Motivation

& Achievement

Overall SatisfactionN=22*

Excellent Above Average Average Below Average Poor

C1. How would you rate the

Healthy Men’s Project in meeting

your needs with its current range of programs and services?

23% 36% 36% 5% 0%

C2. How would you rate the currentfacilities?

5% 32% 41% 9% 14%

N=22*

Strongly satisfied Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied Strongly dissatisfied

C4. How satisfied are you with the skillsyou have learned from the HealthyMen’s Project?

23% 68% 9% 0% 0%

C5. How satisfied are you with how theHealthy Men’s Project is currently run?

14% 59% 14% 14% 0%

C6. How satisfied are you with youroverall experience in the HealthyMen’s Project?

27% 68% 4% 0% 0%

Health & Recovery

Attending the shed has continue to aid in the improvement of

men’s well-being

(C7) Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your experience regarding the Healthy

Men’s Project?

Gaining extra energy levels both mentally and physically at work or at home.

It takes me out of my bubble, and energise me to battle with the voluntary work.

I am happy, and a better person

N=22*

Strongly

Disagree

Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly

Agree

A1. After a session at the Healthy

Men’s Project do you feel happy

and supported?

0% 0% 0% 64% 36%

Reduction of Aggression

Attendance at the shed has also improved inter-

personal relationships

– P4: I love my wife. We used to fight a lot, it wasn’t

nice. But now it’s different. I’m happy to see her

when I get home, and she’s happy to see me. We

still argue, but it’s not the same. I feel better when I

come here and it’s helped at home.

Laming (2000): potential to help address family

violenceLaming, C. (2000). The SHED project: A rural intervention project to prevent men’s violence against women

and children. Issues Facing Australian Families: Human Services Respond, 307-315.

Socialisation & Support

N=22*

Strongly

Disagree

Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly

Agree

A4. I feel less lonely after attending the Healthy

Men’s project

0% 0% 0% 50% 50%

A8. The Healthy Men’s Project has helped you

develop and maintain friendships.

0% 0% 5% 45% 50%

A9. The Healthy Men’s Project is a space where

you can discuss your needs and have your

voice heard amongst friends.

0% 0% 9% 64% 27%

Singleton (2003); Garfield (2010); Ribeiro et al., (2007)

• Informally structured men’s groups has enabled men who

struggle with achieving emotional intimacy with other men to

overcome this barrier

Garfield, R. (2010). Male Emotional Intimacy: How Therapeutic Men’s Groups Can Enhance Couples

Therapy. Family Process, 49, 109-122. Singleton, A. (2003). Men getting real? A study of relationship change in two men’s groups. Journal of

Sociology, 39(2), 131-147. Ribeiro, O., Paúl, C., & Nogueira, C. (2007). Real men, real husbands: Caregiving and masculinities in later

life. Journal of Aging Studies, 21(4), 302-313.

Socialisation & Support

Peers are encouraged, even if they make mistakes with their

work:

– P5: I like it here because if you make a mistake with your

work, someone will help you fix it.

– I: You don’t feel like you will be judged or get into trouble?

– P5: No, not at all

– I: Do you ever feel worried about making a mistake?

– P8: No, no problems here…can just hide it in the scrap wood

*laughs*

Confidence, Motivation & Achievement

Improvements to self-esteem & confidence

– I: Why do you like coming to the Men’s Shed?

– P4: I feel important when I come here. N=22*

Agree Strongly

Agree NeutralAgree Strongly

Agree

A5. My self-esteem has improved as a result of

participating in theHealthy Men’sProject.

0% 0% 0% 45% 55%

A6. The Healthy Men’s Project has helped you build

confidence in your abilities, and learn new and helpful

skills.

0% 0% 0% 73% 27%

A7. The Healthy Men’s Project has helped finddirection in your life.

0% 0% 14% 73% 14%

Confidence, Motivation & Achievement

Kelan (2008): men may lose confidence and self-

esteem when they can no longer engage in

breadwinning/unable to find alternatives

Space to reengage with breadwinning

– P9: Now that I’m not working, I feel guilty because my wife

still works. Which is fine-I mean, I’m retired and have worked

for 50 years, so I’ve done my dues. But I still feel guilty about

not working. Coming here allows me to pretend that I’m

working, and many of the projects I complete I can do for the

house.

Kelan, E.K. (2008) 'Gender, Risk and Employment Insecurity: The Masculine Breadwinner Subtext', In: Human Relations, 61:9, 1171-1202.

Discussion: Why Is This Shed Effective?

Flexibility

Supportive

Group Dynamics

No Social

Enterprise

Informal

Community Care

Flexibility: Enabling Independence

Smith et al., (2007), O’Brien et al., (2005): aging ‘successfully’ is

marked by maintaining a level of independence. In the context of

men, this can also become associated with maintaining a

culturally acknowledgeable masculine identity

B5. What is something you would like to stay the same in the Healthy Men’s Project?

No rigid hours or attendance rules

Friendship and freedom of different little projects of each man

O'Brien, R., Hunt, K., & Hart, G. (2005). ‘It’s caveman stuff, but that is to a certain extent how guys still

operate’: men’s accounts of masculinity and help seeking. Social Science & Medicine, 61, 503–516. Smith, J. A., Braunack-Mayer, A., Wittert, G., & Warin, M . (2007). “I've been independent for so damn long!”:

Independence, masculinity and aging in a help seeking context. Journal of Aging Studies, 21(4), 325-335.

Supportive Group Dynamics

Space facilitates an encouraging space, all men

are equal

– I: Why do you like coming here?

– P3: It’s a playgroup for old blokes. And that’s why it

works.

B5. What is something you would like to stay the same in the Healthy Men’s Project?

The way we work as a team.

No Social Enterprise

Dart (2004): Not-For-Profits often utilise a social

enterprise framework to maintain sustainable funding

However, this format is unfavourable for the men at this

Shed

B5. What is something you would like to stay the same in the Healthy Men’s Project?

The way it is run at the moment and not like other sheds - for profit.

Set up where all work in harmony without any pressure to work to a deadline

Attending the shed with no costs per visit

Dart, R. (2004). The legitimacy of social enterprise. Nonprofit

Management and Leadership, 14(4), 411-424.

Informal Community Care

Conradson (2003:508): “Care may thus be present in everyday encounters

between individuals who are attentive to each other’s situation, who perhaps

provide practical assistance or who simply make time to listen to what the

other has to say. It is about a movement towards another person in a way that

has the potential to facilitate or promote their well-being.”

B1 If you could improve on something in the Healthy Men’s Project, what would it be?

Hours more meaningful for retired men who live alone and are in need of more interaction

with other people.

I would like to spend more time at the shed all year round.

Men's health would improve if shed is operated more days/ increased hours.

Conradson, D. (2003). Spaces of care in the city: the place of a community

drop-in centre. Social & Cultural Geography, 4(4), 507-525

Conclusions

“Thank you Healthy Cities

(Building Healthy) Men

Project. As a community

volunteer I was never

enthusiastic about the Men's

Shed. I came to lead some

of my country people but,

now I like it very much.”

Acknowledgements

Monash University- School of Social Sciences (SoSS) Research

Committee Grant

The men at The Men’s Shed Coniston who offered their time and willingness

to participate in the survey and interviews;

The Men’s Shed Coniston facilitators Ramazan and Agostinho who aided in

the survey distribution, collection and interview translation;

Peter Ball at Healthy Cities Illawarra for preparing hard copies of the surveys

for distribution, alongside completing online data entry of the survey results;

Brian Pember at Healthy Cities Illawarra for his input on survey development

and design;

Duncan Rintoul at Rooftop Social Research & Evaluation, for providing the

opportunity and invaluable mentorship throughout the project.