This study used Foucauldian Discourse Analysis to explore how men over 65 discussed their understandings of health and illness, relating to their past, present and future. The analysis worked intensively with interview material from a sample of eight men aged 66 - 81 to identify the discourses referred to within the men's talk and the `subject positions' afforded to them and others through these. Social constructions of such concepts as health; illness; gender; and ageing are considered and the potential dilemmas arising as a result of conflicts between these, with a particular focus on ways in which these men may renegotiate their gendered id entities to accommodate their experience of later life. Six interrelated discourses are identified: Health as the preserve of women; Men's health as physical activity; Health as a long-term investment; Health as a `given' in youth but requiring effort in older age; Health as a personal responsibility; and Health care professionals as experts and authority figures. A subjugated form of masculinity is exposed through the participants' expression of improved adherence to health-promoting behaviours in later life, whilst the hegemonic ideal of not attending to health concerns is positioned as a trait endorsed by those who lack the power to either think about or to act upon such `rational' decisions. Implications of the findings are discussed in the context of potential strategies for improving men's healthcare practices.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:532601 |
| Date | January 2006 |
| Creators | Bartlett, Alison |
| Publisher | University of East London |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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