Ageing and Identity Dilemmas for Men

As men's bodies age and shift further from the cultural ideal and as chronic disease and illness become a more common reality for older men, little is known about how men come to negotiate masculinity and the identity dilemmas that they may experience. This article considers the complexities involved in how older men construct identities and develop strategies to negotiate masculinities and ageing. While ageing can be identified with diminishment, especially as one comes to terms with changes associated with physical ageing, it can also be associated with realised potential within the arenas of the psychological, emotional, and spiritual life.