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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| Revealing gendered identity and agency in dementia | | Author(s) | Geraldine Boyle |
| Journal title | Health and Social Care in the Community, vol 25, no 6, November 2017 |
| Publisher | Wiley, November 2017 |
| Pages | pp 1787-1793 |
| Source | http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/hsc |
| Keywords | Older men ; Older women ; Dementia ; Attitude ; Personal relationships ; Qualitative Studies ; Northern England. |
| Annotation | The author has previously referred to agency, that it "involves engaging socio-emotionally with the lives and concerns of ourselves and others". As identity and agency are central to the well-being of people with dementia, this paper explores whether their dialogue conveys a gendered sense of identity and agency. The author discusses whether they demonstrate not just a subjective sense of being, but also an understanding of their relational selves. Findings are presented from a qualitative study in the North of England which examined the everyday decisions made by married couples when one partner had dementia. Ethnographic methods were used, including participant observation and interviews. While analysis of dialogue usually centres on the subjective self, it was also used to examine intersubjectivity. Comparisons are made between the dialogue of women and men in order to draw conclusions about the gendered nature of identity and agency. The study found that the women and men defined themselves according to their social and gender identities. The literature had suggested that agency might be a gendered concept. The study confirmed that men were somewhat individualistic and rational in their concerns, whereas women were more relational and even spiritual. Yet, women and men demonstrated emotional reflexivity. As national and international health policy prioritises living well with dementia, more systematic attention should be given to the role of gender in influencing well-being in dementia. Health and social care staff should recognise and facilitate the gender identity and related social roles of people with dementia (e.g. parent, carer and worker) in order to enhance their quality of life. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-171103216 A |
| Classmark | BC: BD: EA: DP: DS: 3DP: 82N |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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