Preserving a Vital and Valued Self in the Face of AIDS

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Abstract
This paper utilizes interview data to explore the challenges to self confronted by men living with advanced symptoms of AIDS. Guided by a symbolic interactionist perspective, the paper highlights how these men (1) come to terms with debilitating health complications and a diminishing future; (2) offset the threats posed by suffering, dependence, and dying; and (3) fashion and solidify selves that extend beyond death. In examining these themes, the paper reveals how men with AIDS construct and negotiate identities that enable them to sustain a sense of control, continuity, and self‐value in the face of mortal illness.

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