A Modern Community Men’s Shed

The inception of the Men’s Sheds Movement began in Australia to bring men together who were socially isolated. At sheds, men converse with each other, make new friends, and engage in activities together. Further iterations of sheds around the world have also been created, including Community Sheds and Women’s Sheds. In the U.S., the Men’s Sheds Movement began in 2016. However, sheds have not been studied as extensively in the U.S. and this paper adds to the literature by further investigating gender, expectations, age, motivation, and participation in a Community Shed located in the Southern part of the U.S. Results indicated that both men and women participated in the shed but gravitated towards different roles. Men were more likely to participate regularly for the camaraderie and social benefits, while women attended if they had a specific project to work on. Women were also more likely to discuss the importance of having a form of leisure to engage in outside of the home. Older women mentioned the importance of having a separate activity away from their partners while younger women commented on needing an outlet away from the distractions of childcare and household tasks. This is the first study to investigate gender dynamics within a shed in the U.S., including how gender impacts perceptions of the shed, who attends it, and dynamics between men and women. Further research is needed exploring other Community Sheds in the U.S. as well as how they compare to Community Sheds in other countries.