ARE OLDER MEN TAKING SEXUALITY AS PRESCRIBED?

Abstract

Representations of male heterosexuality as a dominant sexuality are predicated on heterosexual penis use. These are subject to changing social prescriptions now augmented by drugs like Viagra. It is generally assumed that men will conform to the expectations created by these prescriptions. However, this study of the accounts of 10 older men (55–69) showed that such prescriptions were just one factor. Attitudes towards sex and experiences over a lifetime interacted with social norms and pharmaceutical products. Sometimes these interactions showed elements of conformity; sometimes they were the basis for forms of sexual expression that challenged heterosexual norms.

Notes

1. Thanks are due to Richard Ward, Ester McGeeney and Phill Dyson for helpful comments on an earlier draft. The interviews in this article were part of the Research into Age Discrimination Project which was funded by a grant from the Big Lottery Fund (UK).