Improvising Survival Without Guarantees
A Constructivist Grounded Theory of Attitudes Toward Aging Among Middle-Aged Gay Men in Cebu City, Philippines
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24020214 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Joselito Banono (0000-0002-1475-807X, Cebu Institute of Technology University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-15 |
| Publication date | 2026-08-05 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Homosexuality (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0091-8369 • E-ISSN: 1540-3602 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/00918369.2026.2709464 |
| PMID | 42554696 |
| OpenAlex | W7172481038 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 16 |
This study developed a substantive grounded theory explaining how middle-aged gay men in Cebu City, Philippines, construct their attitudes toward aging. Using constructivist grounded theory methodology, 12 middle-aged gay men aged 35 to 50 were recruited through purposive and theoretical sampling and participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews. Data analysis employed initial, focused, and theoretical coding, guided by constant comparative analysis. The core category, Improvising Survival Without Guarantees, emerged as the central explanatory process through which participants navigate aging outside the normative Filipino life course. Ten substantive categories were organized into three domains: Material Improvisation, Relational Improvisation, and Psychological Improvisation, with Seeing Futures in Others' Lives serving as a bridging category across all domains. Findings challenge static models of aging attitudes and demonstrate how marginalized populations exercise creative agency in constructing pathways toward security, meaning, and dignity in later life. Theoretical propositions and implications for queer aging research, Filipino psychology, and decolonial gerontology are discussed.
Agency (philosophy) · Construct (python library) · Constructivist grounded theory · Dignity · Grounded theory · Normative · Queer · Theoretical sampling · Aging and Gerontology Research · Elder Abuse and Neglect · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving
Attitude Construction
Midlife as a pivotal period in the life course
Development in Midlife
The Health and Social Service Needs of Gay and Lesbian Elders and Their Families in Canada
Midlife in the 2020s
The Aging and Health Report: Disparities and Resilience Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Older Adults
Filial Piety in Changing Asian Societies
The Intergenerational Contract in the Changing Asian Family
I'm still raring to go”
Time, Human Agency, and Social Change
Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations
Intentional Families
Pride and Prejudice
| Highly cited | No |
|---|