Midlife Men, Consumption and Wellbeing
This thesis explores how the consumption behaviour of Australian midlife men (MLM), aged between 45 and 65, supports their health and wellbeing (HWB) across physical, mental, financial, and relational domains—key areas reflected in both hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing models. It moves beyond (but does not exclude) traditional health-related goods and services to consider a broader range of material and experiential consumption that men engage in as they strive for life goals and maintain wellbeing as they transition into later life.
Midlife is a liminal and often overlooked life stage, where decisions have long-term implications for ageing well. For MLM, this stage is characterised by intersecting pressures: raising or supporting children, caring for ageing parents, managing finances and careers, and facing their own age-related health concerns. Layered onto this are traditional masculine expectations around self-reliance and emotional restraint. This research explores how these pressures, roles, and norms shape the ways men consume to achieve HWB.
The study is informed by Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Possible Selves Theory (PST). SDT’s domains of autonomy, competence, and relatedness are used to explain how consumption supports eudaimonic and hedonic wellbeing. PST provides a lens to understand how men consume to move toward desired future selves—and away from feared ones. A conceptual framework was developed from these theoretical foundations to explore how wellbeing-related goals are expressed through consumption.
Qualitative methods were employed within a critical realist framework. In-depth interviews were conducted with MLM from a range of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, living in both metropolitan and regional areas. The data show a clear shift in masculine behaviour, with growing recognition that taking care of one’s physical and mental health—and investing in self—has become more socially acceptable. The influence of peers and role models—described here as peer positive social control (PPSC)—was central to this shift. These PPSC settings helped men enact autonomy (making their own health decisions), develop competence (through skill-based self-care), and build connection (relatedness), aligning with traditional masculine values while enabling more expansive wellbeing goals.
Routine, everyday consumption - like walking, going to the gym, or participating in hobbies - was found to contribute not only to physical and mental wellbeing but also to self-direction and self-actualisation. Importantly, men valued shared experiential consumption over material goods, especially where it enhanced social bonds and personal growth. Rather than reflecting identity loss or compensatory consumption, these practices reflected a reworking of masculine norms around care, contribution, and connection.
This research contributes to theory and practice by: 1) applying SDT and PST to a consumption context, particularly midlife men’s consumption 2) identifying PPSC as a bridge between masculine norms and HWB behaviours 3) showing how consumption supports multiple wellbeing domains 4) adding gendered insight into goal-setting literature, and 5) offering a practical basis for understanding wellbeing-focused consumption. Implications are offered for marketing, social marketing, health promotion, and policy.
