Older Gay Men and Their Support Convoys

Abstract

Objective: We used the convoy model and the network type construct to identify the relationship quality profiles found among older gay men and to examine how they define a satisfactory network. Method: We used a network mapping strategy and in-depth qualitative interviews with 20 participants in Atlanta. During the interviews, all network members were discussed, regardless of relationship or map position. Results: For participants, having people in their lives with whom they could fully be "out" as gay men (authenticity) was at the root of a quality network. This allowed them to develop emotional closeness (intimacy), which, in part, provided a foundation of social support. Participants' discussion of network quality, which reflected authenticity, intimacy, and social support, revealed high, moderate, and low quality network types. Discussion: Our findings diversify knowledge of the network type construct, provide a deeper understanding of its qualitative features, and give voice to this often-invisible group, situating meaning within their social-historical context. The findings suggest that the meaning of a quality network is contextual and culturally specific, varying across groups of older adults.

Does Social Support Predict Depressive Symptoms? A Longitudinal Study of Midlife and Older Men Who Have Sex with Men from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study

“…These findings support research showing that older gay men commonly receive support from friends, while some MSM receive support from a variety of sources, including chosen and biological families and larger community. 21,31 In this study Abbreviations: aOR = adjusted odds ratio; CI = confidence interval; OR = odds ratio.. MSM received the highest support from partners, but prior studies found that gay men most commonly receive support from friends, 21,32 These studies found that friends provided support in the form of socializing or acting as activity companions, whereas partners were the most common source of emotional support. 21,32 Our question assessing support did not prompt participants to consider socializing as a form of support.…”

The Convoy Model andLater‐LifeFamily Relationships

“…Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender (LGBT) men and women have particular lifetime experiences that influence their patterns of social support over time and are less likely to have traditionally defined family members as they age (Reczek, 2020), thus creating convoys often involves more friends and nontraditional kin, negotiated within existing legal structures of who is defined as family. Recent work applied a convoy model framework to study the support networks of older gay men and similarly emphasized the value in broadening definitions of kin for LGBT elders who often develop families of choice (Tester & Wright, 2016). In sum, the convoy model facilitates inclusion of multiple relationship types into networks as defined by older adults, including diverse definitions of kin in various contexts.…”

The State of Theory in LGBTQ Aging: Implications for Gerontological Scholarship

“…For example, one article used the concept of coping to motivate and frame a study but also applied the analysis and findings to expand this concept and offer a more nuanced understanding of its meaning and function in the lives of LGB older adults (Seelman, Lewinson, Engelman, Maley, & Allen, 2017). Another used the convoy model of social relations to motivate and design a study of social networks of older gay men and used the empirical material to add substantive and conceptual dimensions to this well-known model in gerontology (Tester & Wright, 2017).…”

“…Second, we noted that some articles stemmed from social or nonbiomedical sciences and focused especially on describing and explaining how social and psychological phenomena and processes occur or unfold, using theories and concepts such as the convoy model of social relations (Kim, Fredriksen-Goldsen, Bryan, & Muraco, 2017; Tester & Wright, 2017), communal relationship theory (Muraco & Fredriksen-Goldsen, 2014), social integration theory (Williams & Fredrisksen-Goldsen, 2014), social capital theory (Erosheva, Kim, Emlet, & Fredriksen-Goldsen, 2015), the sailing model of estrangement (deGuzman et al, 2017), defensive othering (Suen, 2017), the individualization thesis (Almack et al, 2010), a framework explaining long-term care strategies of older lesbians (Gabrielson, 2011), sexual fluidity (Averett et al, 2011), normative creativity (Parslow & Hegarty, 2013), aging capital (Simpson, 2013), successful aging (Fredriksen-Goldsen, Kim, Shiu, Goldsen, & Emlet, 2014; Porter, Ronneberg, & Witten, 2013; Van Wagenen, Driskell, & Bradford, 2013), subjective well-being (Sagie, 2015), internalized ageism (Wight, LeBlanc, Meyer, & Harig, 2015), agency in the life course (Fabbre, 2017), coping and coping strategies (Seelman et al, 2017), perceived control (Hostetler, 2012), the Andersen Model (Brennan-Ing, Seidel, London, Cahill, & Karpiak, 2014), Ryff and Singer’s conceptualization of psychological well-being (Putney, 2014), socioemotional selectivity theory (Sullivan, 2014), social practice theory (SPT; Cohen & Cribbs, 2017), and internalized and enacted sexual identity stigma (Emlet, Fredriksen-Goldsen, Kim, & Hoy-Ellis, 2017). While examining different processes, these approaches “dig deep” into the complex ways that social forces and psychological functioning inform identity and well-being.…”