Social and psychological creativity in gay male midlife identity management

The British Journal of Social Psychology
Christopher Hajek

Abstract

This study utilizes a qualitative thematic analysis methodology and a social identity theory framework to explore ways in which early midlife gay men report enhancing their social identities through social and psychological creativity. Face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were conducted with forty early midlife gay men (aged 40-53) in four US cities. Men discussed the collective and individual essences of their age and gay identities, including attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours that they embraced to self-enhance at midlife. These discussions emphasized differences from the younger gay outgroup, often in the context of intergenerational interaction. Identified were three strategies (and seven substrategies) that summarized the ways that interviewees constructed their identities in the interest of self-enhancement, specifically in the context of intergenerational comparisons with younger gay men. These strategies may be considered as extensions to social creativity strategies presented in Tajfel and Turner's (Psychology of intergroup relations. Chicago, IL: Nelson, 1986: 7) social identity theory.

References

Jan 1, 1996·Journal of Homosexuality·S Cox, C Gallois
Jan 14, 2005·Personality and Social Psychology Review : an Official Journal of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc·M Rubin, M Hewstone
Sep 7, 2006·Annual Review of Psychology·Mark R Leary
Jun 28, 2007·Journal of Homosexuality·Ragan Cooper Fox
May 6, 2008·Personality and Social Psychology Review : an Official Journal of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc·Catherine E AmiotJoanne R Smith
Aug 7, 2009·Journal of Homosexuality·Ellen D B RiggleFred Danner
Nov 23, 2013·The British Journal of Social Psychology·Kavita PandeyStephen D Reicher
Apr 5, 2014·The British Journal of Sociology·Paul Simpson

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