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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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Later life, gender and ethnicity
— changing theory for social policy research | | Author(s) | Gail Wilson |
| Corporate Author | Social Policy Research Centre - SPRC, University of New South Wales |
| Journal title | SPRC Discussion Paper, no 94, 1998 |
| Pages | 24 pp |
| Keywords | Older men ; Older women ; Ethnic groups ; Sociology, Social Science ; Social policy ; Research ; Evaluation. |
| Annotation | The aim of this paper is to consider how developments in theories of gender and ethnicity might contribute to policy research on different aspects of later life. It argues that existing research puts too much reliance on chronological age as the key descriptor for "old" people, and thus provides an inadequate knowledge base for emancipatory policy, practice and theory building. The paper examines a range of discourses commonly used in discussion of ageing and later life, which tend often to disempower or render invisible certain groups, including older women and older people of other cultures. It also explores ways in which older men and women resist these exercises of power over them, by refusing to conform to stereotypes of behaviour or identity. This leads to potential conflicts between notions of universal rights and the need to take account of diversity and difference - which could be resolved by developing an approach based on capabilities. The paper concludes by arguing that research on older people needs to draw on developments in other branches of social science. It also calls for greater effective participation in such research by older people from all walks of life. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-990302204 B |
| Classmark | BC: BD: TK: S: TM2: 3A: 4C |
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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