Understanding diversity in later life through images of old age
Understanding diversity in later life through images of old age
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DOI：
10.1017/s0144686x20000379
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发表时间：
2021-10-01
期刊：
影响因子：
2.5
通讯作者：
Helbrecht, Ilse
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Enssle, Friederike;Helbrecht, Ilse
本文旨在通过探讨晚年生活中的多样性和老年形象的相互作用，加强对老年多样性的概念辩论。我们认为，在微观层面上的老年图像的分析是一个富有成效的方法，以解开多样性的意义，在以后的生活。借鉴柏林定性研究的结果，我们探讨了老年人如何出现新的和多样化的想象力，经验和生活方式。对老年形象的概念关注使我们能够进一步研究晚年生活的多样性包括什么，以及它如何同时促进老年新形象的产生。我们在研究中发现的多种新形象表明，宏观层面上流行的关于老年的社会话语具有相当的欺骗性，主要代表“活跃的老年人”或“脆弱和依赖的老年人”等刻板印象。我们提供了三个解释，为什么老年人的替代形象目前几乎没有出现在公共话语：（a）演员传输的年龄图像;（B）的图像的制度化;（c）的挑战，沟通的复杂性。我们的结论是，老年的图像是一个很有前途的起点，探索和可见的社会群体的多样性，以及老年人的异质性。
This article aims to enhance the conceptual debate on diversity in old age by exploring the interplay of diversity in later life and images of old age. We argue that the analysis of images of old age on the micro-level is a fruitful methodology in order to unravel the meaning of diversity in later life. Drawing on findings from qualitative research in Berlin, we explore how new and diverse imaginations, experiences and lifestyles of old age emerge. The conceptual focus on images of old age enables us to investigate further what diversity in later life comprises and how it simultaneously fosters the genesis of new images of old age. The manifold new images we found in our research suggest that prevalent societal discourses about old age on the macro-level are rather deceptive and represent mostly stereotypes such as 'active agers' or 'frail and dependent elders'. We offer three explanations why alternative images of old age are currently barely present in public discourse: (a) the actors transmitting images of age; (b) the institutionalisation of the images; and (c) the challenge to communicate complexity. We conclude by suggesting that images of old age are a promising starting point to explore and make visible both the diversity of social groups within the older generation as well as the heterogeneity of older individuals.