Older men's conceptions of masculinity, aging, and the body / by Stephanie Anderson Chesser.

Abstract

While much gerontology research has focused on the female gendered experience of aging, little attention has been paid to the ways in which older men conceptualize their own masculinity. The objectives of this constructivist study were to explore (i) how older men conceptualize masculinity as they age, (ii) how older age is a gendered experience for men, (iii) how masculinity in older age affects men's lives, and (iv) how conceptions of masculinity stay the same/change with age. Transcripts from one-on-one, semi-structured interviews conducted with 14 retired men (aged 59 to 84) in a small northwestern Ontario city were analyzed using constructivist methodology. Interview questions focused on participants' experiences throughout the life course (i.e. marriage, retirement, illness) in addition to their perceptions of masculinity and gender roles. Early on in the analysis process, the body was identified as a common thread that connected men's masculine self-perceptions and their ages.