men compare themselves against a ‘gold standard’ which prizes power, control and invincibility;
men in mid-life are now part of the ‘buffer’ generation, not sure whether to be like their older, more traditional, strong, silent, austere fathers or like their younger, more progressive, individualistic sons;
with the decline of traditional male industries, these men have lost not only their jobs but also a source of masculine pride and identity;
men in mid-life remain overwhelmingly dependent on a female partner for emotional support.