Aging in the Narratives of Older/Tiguwang Lesbians in Davao City, Mindanao

Abstract

What does it mean to grow old for older/tiguwang lesbians? In this study, seven key informants from Davao City were interviewed and two focus group discussions were organized to allow the participants to provide in-depth descriptions of their experiences and perspective concerning aging. The interview questions were informed by the life course perspective of Dewilde (2003). The unfolding themes were critically analyzed following Meyer's minority stress perspective (2003). Privileging the assumptions of a narrative-constructivist qualitative method (Creswell, 2014), this study holds that the older/tiguwang lesbians construe aging as an intersection of perspectives, issues, responsibilities, and capacities. Such intersections are gleaned in the following meanings of aging: (1) as reflective of class difference - as a privilege given the demands of everyday struggles especially those who are tied to the daily grind of work, and as a possibility that demands preparation for some who can save, or have more than one source of income, (2) the process of creating/living with a family of choice, (3) having to bear the responsibility of taking care of one's parents, (4) as a two-pronged experience of settling in a place, and cultivating resilience in confronting emerging issues, and (5) as a demonstration of agency as creators of their lived worlds.