The tenderness and vulnerability of older expatriate men: a poetic inquiry of research and autoethnographic poems

ABSTRACT

Older men are often viewed binomially as either incompetent or all powerful and privileged. Expatriate older men are even more subject to stereotypes. Using poetic inquiry, this study presents one aspect of a fuller picture of the psychosocial realities of older expatriate men: their experience of tenderness and vulnerability. Various poetic forms and structures are used to evocatively present the lived experience of the research participants. Also included is an autoethnographic poem which highlights the importance of reflexivity and self reflection in the research process.

KEYWORDS:

• Autoethnography
• older men
• poetic inquiry
• and poetry as research

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.