Being a good boy: pup play, body image, and the self for gay, bi, trans, and queer men.

Puppy play is a kink activity, in which people dress as, take on the role of, and mimic the physical and emotional behaviours of young canines or pups. We explore how the pup identity, depicted in cellphilms by queer men who are part of the pup community, influences men's body image perceptions using multimodal critical discourse analysis. Participants expressed feelings of dissonance, shame, and self-rejection when viewing themselves as humans, but conveyed excitement, pleasure, and self-celebration when viewing themselves as pups. Participants depicted their body images being transformed by way of puppy gear, puppy spaces, handlers, and playmates, which was said to foster more (self-)acceptance, playfulness, and freedom. This study highlights the potential for puppy play to provide a transformative experience for individuals, allowing participants to explore, re-signify, and embrace their bodies as pups.

Where do they stand? A post-structuralist examination of offense-supportive narratives constructed by men convicted of child sexual abuse.

Decisions to engage in child sexual abuse (CSA) are not motivated solely by sexual/romantic interest in children. Given the complex interplay of personal, relational, and societal factors involved, we explored the narratives men constructed around their subjective motivations for offending, situated within the post-structuralist constructs of desire, power, and ethical subjectivity. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 25 men charged/convicted of CSA. Offenses were often contextualized as attempts to satisfy sexual and/or emotional desires. While some participants reported a persistent interest in children, others attempted to satisfy these desires through CSA in response to negative experiences with adults, including sexual overregulation, sexual objectification, and demoralization. Participants' subversion of social and ethical norms was aided by offense-supportive narratives that stemmed from their interactions with/interpretations of the world. Interventions to prevent CSA may benefit from a post-structuralist perspective of the social and cultural mechanisms by which men's decisions to engage in CSA are shaped.

Disciplined appetites: Reimagining food and nutrition programs for people living with HIV and AIDS.

AIMS: Medical nutrition therapy is recommended for people living with HIV/AIDS to improve health and wellness; however, there is a lack of food and nutrition programs for people living with HIV/AIDS in Nova Scotia, Canada. The aim of this study was to explore the beliefs, values, and experiences of people living with HIV/AIDS in relation to food and nutrition programs. METHODS: A critical social theory lens with two disciplinary contexts: critical health geography and critical dietetics guided this research. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 people living with HIV/AIDS and analysed for themes. RESULTS: The three main themes were identified: (1) intersections of social determinants of health, wellness, and food security; (2) discursive shaping of food and nutrition in relation to HIV; and (3) the dynamic nature of HIV care. CONCLUSIONS: Participants offered recommendations on how food and nutrition programs might be reimagined to be more accessible, inclusive, and effective for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Situating our selves: using mixed media to convey experiences of psychosocial cancer research.

BACKGROUND: In contrast to the field of art therapy, the use of art-making as a form of reflective or creative practice by social scientists by themselves or for themselves has been limited. In this article, we describe the impetus and outcomes for collective art-making within our group of seven health researchers. METHODS: As a group, we represent sociology, psychology, nursing, occupational therapy, and kinesiology, as well as interdisciplinary studies. Guided by a professional artist, we engaged with mixed media to explore our experiences as psychosocial cancer researchers. RESULTS: Findings are brought to light through a process and outcome narrative that highlights the meaningfulness of cancer to researchers. CONCLUSIONS: Key learnings could inform initiatives that other health researchers might undertake if choosing to expand beyond prevalent models of art as intervention for those who are ill to more fully engage those who explore such lines of inquiry.