Stories on Gender, Aging, and Care Work

These personal essays from the Generations Journal by the American Society on Aging discuss feminism, aging, ageism, and care work.

In “On Being an Aging Woman: An Annual Conversation,” Our Bodies Ourselves co-founder Joan Ditzion, Phyllis Mitzen, and Connie Goldman reflect on their experiences of aging as second-wave feminists. The highlight that aging is personal, political, social, and economic for women. Ditzion, Mitzen, and Goldman also address their work to foster intergenerational conversations around aging as women at the Aging in America (AiA) Conference.

In “A Personal, Professional, and Political Journey as a Feminist Gerontologist,” Nancy R. Hooyman discusses how she became a feminist. She highlights how her feminism intersects with her work as a gerontologist. Hooyman argues that feminist work must address care work and aging. It must also address the structural inequalities that shape those experiences.

Aging is a personal and a political process. It is impossible to age in our society without encountering ageist attitudes—personal, cultural, and institutional. We believed that the feminist approach to deconstructing sexism could give us a way to deal with ageism. Along with economic insecurity and illness, ageism is the greatest societal barrier to aging well. We needed to start with ourselves—to recognize and deconstruct our internalized ageism and the cultural and institutionalized ageist attitudes targeted at us.

SOURCE: Generations: American Society on Aging • AUTHOR: Wendy Lustbader • LAST UPDATED: October 16, 2024