title: Witnessing a body in decline: Men's and women's perceptions of an altered physical appearance.
abstract: There has been a tendency within the literature to ignore how men and women who are very ill and at the end of life perceive and experience their visibly altered bodies. This article aims to provide new insights about this matter. A qualitative research approach was adopted. In-depth interviews were conducted with 10 hospice patients, 20 family members, and 20 members of hospice staff. Findings reveal that because of masculine and feminine norms, physical appearance is more a matter of concern to women than to men who are close to death. This contradicts theories that suggest that patients experience a disinvestment on their sense of masculinity and femininity alongside the process of bodily deterioration and decay prior impending potential death.
authors.affiliation: a Institute of Social Sciences, Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Universidade de Lisboa , Lisbon , Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana Patrícia
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Hilário
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000505:Alopecia / Q000523:psychology; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D057227:Femininity; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D057228:Masculinity; D010465:Perception; D000067029:Physical Appearance, Body; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012737:Sex Factors; D015431:Weight Loss
keywords: Appearance; end of life; gender; sociology