Older adults' embodied experiences of aging and their perceptions of societal stigmas toward sexuality in later life
Older adults' embodied experiences of aging and their perceptions of societal stigmas toward sexuality in later life
Rationale: Sexuality is an important part of life for many older adults, and research is beginning to demonstrate the diversity of sexual agency and sexual expression in middle and later life. There is a lack of qualitative research, however, on the lived experiences of older adults concerning this topic. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore older adults’ embodied experiences and perceptions of aging in relation to sexuality, and whether differences based on gender and/or sexual orientation exist amongst this participant group. Methods: Thirty-one United Kingdom adults aged 66–92 years (M age 74; 16 women and 15 men) completed in-depth semi-structured interviews; these were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Three themes were generated. Changing Body; Media and Society; and “I still feel the same inside.” Older adults reported being seen as “past it” and irrelevant, but some saw this as freedom from societal expectations. Health and functional aspects of their bodies were prioritised over aesthetics and “overly glamourous” older celebrities were rejected as appropriate role models. Aging “well” meant resisting decline, but outward appearances did not always align with internal perceptions and experience. Many of our participants had internalised narratives of “successful aging” that centred around retaining youth. Conclusions: Findings support affirmative aging narratives. Aging as a time of difference without a sense of loss or decline. Implications for how later life is presented in advertising and service provision are discussed.
body image, sexual wellbeing, older adults, qualitative, thematic analysis
Towler, Lauren
ebb4fb4e-703f-4e52-a9dc-53e72ca68e8f
Graham, Cynthia
ac400331-f231-4449-a69b-ec9a477224c8
Bishop, Felicity
1f5429c5-325f-4ac4-aae3-6ba85d079928
Hinchliff, Sharron
d9591b60-f230-4107-a60a-1a9b0ec4ef7a
October 2021
Towler, Lauren
ebb4fb4e-703f-4e52-a9dc-53e72ca68e8f
Graham, Cynthia
ac400331-f231-4449-a69b-ec9a477224c8
Bishop, Felicity
1f5429c5-325f-4ac4-aae3-6ba85d079928
Hinchliff, Sharron
d9591b60-f230-4107-a60a-1a9b0ec4ef7a
Towler, Lauren, Graham, Cynthia, Bishop, Felicity and Hinchliff, Sharron
(2021)
Older adults' embodied experiences of aging and their perceptions of societal stigmas toward sexuality in later life.
Social Science & Medicine, 287, [114355].
(doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114355).
Abstract
Rationale: Sexuality is an important part of life for many older adults, and research is beginning to demonstrate the diversity of sexual agency and sexual expression in middle and later life. There is a lack of qualitative research, however, on the lived experiences of older adults concerning this topic. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore older adults’ embodied experiences and perceptions of aging in relation to sexuality, and whether differences based on gender and/or sexual orientation exist amongst this participant group. Methods: Thirty-one United Kingdom adults aged 66–92 years (M age 74; 16 women and 15 men) completed in-depth semi-structured interviews; these were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Three themes were generated. Changing Body; Media and Society; and “I still feel the same inside.” Older adults reported being seen as “past it” and irrelevant, but some saw this as freedom from societal expectations. Health and functional aspects of their bodies were prioritised over aesthetics and “overly glamourous” older celebrities were rejected as appropriate role models. Aging “well” meant resisting decline, but outward appearances did not always align with internal perceptions and experience. Many of our participants had internalised narratives of “successful aging” that centred around retaining youth. Conclusions: Findings support affirmative aging narratives. Aging as a time of difference without a sense of loss or decline. Implications for how later life is presented in advertising and service provision are discussed.
Text
Towler et al. 2021_final accepted
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 26 August 2021
e-pub ahead of print date: 28 August 2021
Published date: October 2021
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
This research was supported by the Research Council of Norway (grant number: 250637 ). The authors thank all members of the Healthy Sexual Aging team for their support, feedback, and inspiration throughout the project.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Ltd
Keywords:
body image, sexual wellbeing, older adults, qualitative, thematic analysis
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 451175
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/451175
ISSN: 0277-9536
PURE UUID: 08a212c2-3700-4d94-8096-fd565046f5a8
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Date deposited: 14 Sep 2021 16:02
Last modified: 24 Apr 2024 04:04
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Author:
Lauren Towler
Author:
Sharron Hinchliff
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