Qualitative Health Research, Ahead of Print.
The life-history narratives of 10 Mexican American men with mobility limitations, age 55–77 years (mean = 63.8, SD = 5.8), were explored using a qualitatively driven, life-history mixed-methods study to understand perceptions of mobility limitations over the life course. Within that methodological and paradigmatic framework, conceptualizations of alterity and masculinity guided interpretation of data. Through an iterative, thematic analysis, we detail the way the men’s lives were influenced by growing familial responsibility with age. Quantitative data were integrated into themes of narrative inheritance, family, and masculinity. It was posited that masculinity with mobility limitations shaped and was shaped by ethnic identity and responsibility. This has implications for understanding the experience of Mexican American men over the life course.