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We will be different! Ageism and the temporal construction of old age

Jönson, Håkan LU (2013) In The Gerontologist 53(2). p.198-204
Abstract
Abstract in Undetermined
Ageism has been described as different from other forms of discrimination and paradoxical in the sense that "nonold" people discriminate against their "future selves." The argument of this article is that nonold people may uphold ideas about older people as "the other" by constructing their own future selves as "essentially different" from that of older people of the present. Using examples from care work, this article shows how nonold care providers use temporal categorizations to justify treatment that they would/will not accept for themselves. Based on a review of literature, it is argued that a temporal construction of old age and older people as existing in the past, the present, and the future has been a... (More)
Abstract in Undetermined
Ageism has been described as different from other forms of discrimination and paradoxical in the sense that "nonold" people discriminate against their "future selves." The argument of this article is that nonold people may uphold ideas about older people as "the other" by constructing their own future selves as "essentially different" from that of older people of the present. Using examples from care work, this article shows how nonold care providers use temporal categorizations to justify treatment that they would/will not accept for themselves. Based on a review of literature, it is argued that a temporal construction of old age and older people as existing in the past, the present, and the future has been a prominent feature of the construction of old age and older people for many decades. A cohort of "new old" has repeatedly been described as active and self-conscious, in comparison to the passive, frail, and grateful older people of the past. Although these contrasts have been used to improve images of older people, they have also served to obstruct attempts to form identities as "older people" and made it possible for nonold people to justify ageist arrangements. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
The Gerontologist
volume
53
issue
2
pages
198 - 204
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • wos:000316148600002
  • scopus:84874911062
  • pmid:22555885
ISSN
1758-5341
DOI
10.1093/geront/gns066
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
8f65087f-98dc-4c01-a2be-1dd244129e10 (old id 2520583)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 09:53:31
date last changed
2022-04-27 08:29:55
@article{8f65087f-98dc-4c01-a2be-1dd244129e10,
  abstract     = {{Abstract in Undetermined<br/>Ageism has been described as different from other forms of discrimination and paradoxical in the sense that "nonold" people discriminate against their "future selves." The argument of this article is that nonold people may uphold ideas about older people as "the other" by constructing their own future selves as "essentially different" from that of older people of the present. Using examples from care work, this article shows how nonold care providers use temporal categorizations to justify treatment that they would/will not accept for themselves. Based on a review of literature, it is argued that a temporal construction of old age and older people as existing in the past, the present, and the future has been a prominent feature of the construction of old age and older people for many decades. A cohort of "new old" has repeatedly been described as active and self-conscious, in comparison to the passive, frail, and grateful older people of the past. Although these contrasts have been used to improve images of older people, they have also served to obstruct attempts to form identities as "older people" and made it possible for nonold people to justify ageist arrangements.}},
  author       = {{Jönson, Håkan}},
  issn         = {{1758-5341}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{198--204}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{The Gerontologist}},
  title        = {{We will be different! Ageism and the temporal construction of old age}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/55434910/We_will_be_different_OA.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/geront/gns066}},
  volume       = {{53}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}