Scope and Content

Abstract

Outlines use of age cohorts, explains sample, and methodology. Three age cohorts were used to analyse data collected from interviews with 82 gay men aged 18–87 who came from Auckland, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Manchester, Melbourne, New York and Sydney. Old cohort comprised men aged 60 and older; middle, those aged 45–60, and young, 45 and under. The first half of the book concentrates on the working lives of the sample, while second half looks at interviewees’ old age concerns or fears and their retirement plans. Chapters on working lives are organised around principal work narratives, such as work-as-work, care, creativity, and social or political change. Important section in each of these chapters concerns how men’s sexuality affected their working lives, careers. Theoretical considerations include recent contributions on work and the effect on personal lives of increasing casualisation of employment and the meaning of ageing and lived experience of ageing gay men. Concludes with outlines of chapters.