A phenomenological study of older gay men in San Francisco within the context of socio-cultural change.

摘要

The primary goal of this research is to gain an understanding of the issues and concerns of aging gay men. Five gay men over the age of 55 were interviewed about their experiences within the context of socio-cultural changes over the past 40 years.;Because the aim of this research was to look at the lives of these men in a deep and intensive fashion, a qualitative approach was used to capture the unique and individual experience of each participant. This approach focus on what the subject reports and interprets about his experience and how the researcher interprets what the subject has reported.;The participants' experiences clustered around seven themes: struggles and oppression in coming out; positive impact of gay liberation; grief and loss due to HIV/AIDS; lack of unique challenges for aging gays; strengths of being gay that aid in the aging process; relationships as a major source of happiness, and the desire for more economic resources.;Though gay men may have had a difficult past, their future is not predetermined to a life of unhappiness and loneliness. Given the socio/cultural changes of the past 30 years, gay men have more opportunity to build happy and fulfilling lives. While stereotypes of aging gay men paint a picture of loneliness and isolation, this is not the norm. Many gay men have shown great resiliency in the face of oppression and have turned negative experiences into positive attributes that have helped them to adapt to the aging process.;The study helps reiterate the fact that there is no one gay experience. Each person must be looked at as an individual. However, a common factor is the finding that gay men tend to have higher life satisfaction when they live in an environment that is open and nurturing. By being open to learning about the unique experiences of gay men, health care providers can provide such an environment.