Mars, Adam and Holland, Paula and Harding, Andrew (2024) "Community has got a hell of a lot weaker" : Working class and precariat men's search for wellbeing through social prescribing. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.
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Abstract
Despite the growing interest in social prescribing in recent years, both in policy and research, little is known on the experiences of men who are referred to it. Even though recent evidence suggests that men are referred less to social prescribing, there is very little coverage in the literature on social prescribing that specifically focuses on men; this thesis therefore provides a much-needed and timely exploration into men’s journey through the policy. Through semi-structured interviews with working class and precariat men (n=14) who have been referred to and used social prescribing in the North of England, and link workers (n=11), the thesis explores men’s experiences and perceptions of social prescribing. In so doing, it aims to explore claims that social prescribing can tackle health inequalities and connect people to what matters to them. As a result, this thesis examines if and how social prescribing connects with working class and precariat men, enquiring as to whether it provides men with experiences, access to social capital, resources and relationships that contribute to health and wellbeing. The thesis concludes that men’s engagement with social prescribing has mixed success in connecting men to the relationships, resources and activities associated with health and wellbeing.