Working with Abused Older Women from a Feminist Perspective

SUMMARY

Domestic violence in older families is often referred to not as family violence but as elder abuse. This chapter will begin by discussing how perceptions of this type of violence impact informal and formal interventions. The prevalence and etiology of domestic violence are described, along with how the joint forces of ageism and sexism affect older female victims. National, state, and local efforts to prevent and remediate the abuse of older women are also covered. In conclusion, the author presents implications for working with groups and individual abused older women from a feminist perspective.     

Sexuality in Older Spanish Women: Voices and Reflections

Our research has been aimed at understanding the experience, practice, and sexual life in a group of Spanish women over 50 years of age. We studied a sample of 729 women between 50 and 80 years old. Our results provide qualitative and quantitative information and important insights about the sexual life of Spanish women and identify differences in the experience and reality of sexual life after the age of 70. The status of having or lacking a partner, and a personal interest in emotional relationships and sexual practices, are elements that determine the possibility of enjoying a satisfying postmenopausal sexuality.     

Older Women of Color: A Feminist Exploration of the Intersections of Personal,Familial and Community Life

SUMMARY

This paper examines the lives of older U.S. women of color who represent racial and ethnic heritages that have a history of unequal access to sources of economic and political power in this country. These women exemplify women with vastly different cultural traditions, but are similar in that they face discrimination as women of color. The combined impact of age, gender, and racial and ethnic background is neglected within our discussions of older women. This paper contributes to our understanding of older women of color by examining the personal, familial, and community aspects of the lives of older women of color. This exploration challenges feminist gerontologists to bring the discussion of this intersection to the center as we explore and seek to comprehend the reality of older women's lives. This scrutiny creates a space for the discussion of both the threats faced by women of color in their unique juncture as old, female, and of color as well as an illumination of the strengths manifested by these women. Further the need to embrace a feminist gerontological framework when practitioners work with these populations is addressed.     

Older Women and the Health Care System: A Time for Change

SUMMARY

In spite of women's active involvement in a woman's health care movement, the mainline health care system continues to hold tight to its androcentric focus. If women are to be subjected to a health care system that employs sexist and ageist practices, the quality of life in their later years will continue to be jeopardized. The purpose of this paper is to first, recognize the existing health care practices which limit the health care opportunities and choices of older women; and secondly, to discuss how such basic feminist principles as education, egalitarianism, empowerment, and inclusion can be used to improve an older woman's experience.     

Women and Retirement

SUMMARY

A feminist analysis of retirement is presented by questioning the applicability of traditional definitions and theories of retirement to retired women. The effects of marriage, caregiving and other family obligations on women's retirement are examined within the context of salient social, psychological and economic factors. An empowerment-oriented perspective that considers interactions and connections between family and work roles, public and private and personal and political levels are recommended to alleviate the high poverty rates among older women, to promote parity among men and women during retirement and to emancipate women from substantial involvement in unpaid work, specifically, caregiving and home labor.     

Older Women in the Homeless Shelter: Personal Perspectives and Practice Ideas

This article reports on the themes generated by interviews conducted with 10 women over the age of 50, currently homeless and residing in an overnight homeless shelter. In-depth interviews were conducted asking women to tell their stories, talk about their lives in the shelter, and speak about their needs, hopes, and dreams. Based on an analysis of these interviews, the following themes emerged and were presented: The System is Too Confusing, Chaos in the Shelter System, Women as Nurturers, and Fractured Families. Discussion of these themes was presented, and practice, administrative, and research implications were suggested.     

Non-Surgical Cosmetic Procedures: Older Women's Perceptions and Experiences

ABSTRACT

This paper analyzes findings from in-depth interviews with 44 women aged 50–70 regarding their perceptions of and experiences with non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as Botox injections, laser hair removal, chemical peels, microdermabrasion, and injectable fillers. While 21 of the women had used a range of non-surgical cosmetic procedures, 23 women had not. The data are discussed in light of feminist theorizing on cosmetic surgery which has tended to ignore the experiences of older women and has been divided in terms of the portrayal of cosmetic surgery as either oppressive or liberating. We found that some of the women used the procedures to increase their physical attractiveness and self-esteem, others viewed the procedures as excessively risky, and still others argued that the procedures stemmed from the social devaluation of later life. Treatments that involved the alteration of the surface of the body tended to be viewed as less risky than the injection of foreign substances into the body.     

Aging Public Services and the Position of Older Women: An Australian Case Study

Contemporary labor markets are characterized by both aging of the workforce and the increase in participation of women. At the intersection of these two policy agendas are older women. Governments and employers recognize the importance of attracting and retaining older workers to address skills shortages, but the aging workforce discourse remains largely gender neutral. This research considers the intersection of age and gender in the context of public services, which are large employers of both women and older workers. It focuses on the agencies in an Australian state public service. The research finds that, despite decades of equal opportunity programs, there is still evidence of subtle inequalities and cumulative disadvantage. While the case study agencies employ a large proportion of older women, these women were generally recruited at younger ages and aged within the workforce. Their advancement and development opportunities were also inferior to those of older men. Despite these lesser opportunities, older women are generally very satisfied with their employment, and the employer should explore these residual inequalities if genuinely seeking to attract and retain all older workers.     

Comparative Use of Complementary Medicine,Allied Health,and Manual Therapies by Middle-Aged and Older Australian Women

We compared use of Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAM) and therapies, Allied Health interventions (AH), and Manual Therapies (MT) in middle-aged and older Australian women. Cross-sectional data from the 2007 phase of the Longitudinal study of Aging in Women (LAW study) was analyzed. Self-reported 12-month usage patterns of CAM, AH, and MT were determined by mailed questionnaire. Results revealed that 56.2% of the middle-aged group, and 55.0% of the older group used CAM, AH, and MT services in the previous 12 months (a nonsignificant difference). In contrast, there was a highly significant difference between the overall use of CAM products by middle-aged women (88.2%) and older women (67.7%: p = .002).     

Women,ageing, and Hip Hop: discourses and imageries of ageing femininity

Abstract

This article investigates how discourses of ageing femininity are constructed and negotiated amongst females in Hip Hop. Through the analysis of narratives and imageries constructed within the music and videos of rap veteran Missy “Misdemeanour” Elliott, press responses to Missy’s work and comparative accounts of other prominent female rappers’ performative strategies, this article explores some of the ways that female artists are responding to socially gendered notions of ageing in Hip Hop. I argue that Hip Hop females are in some cases using Hip Hop as a vehicle for subverting age narratives that are commonly associated with ageing femininity. Murray Forman’s concept of “age-representing” is brought into dialogue with representations of ageing Hip Hop females to support this analysis. The writings of Ros Jennings and Abigail Gardner are also drawn on to form a supportive framework by offering comparative accounts of female ageing in other popular music sub-fields. This article aims to contribute to the growing feminist critique of ageing and popular music culture.     

Dating for Older Women: Experiences and Meanings of Dating in Later Life

Research over the last 20 years has provided an increased understanding of intimate relationships in later life; however, dating in later life remains largely unexplored. The purpose of this study was to examine the meanings of dating for women in later life. In this study, dating was examined through semistructured, in-depth interviews with 14 women ages 64 to 77 who had all dated in later life. Themes that emerged from an interpretative phenomenological analysis included multiple meanings of dating in later life, how dating in later life compared to earlier points in life, and dating in the future.     

Aging Children and Their Older Parents: The Coming Generation of Caregiving

ABSTRACT

This study uses a data set of older children and their older parents to examine caregiving relationships. Using the 1993 Panel Study of Income Dynamics and the 1993 Health Care Burden file, we examine help given by children to their parents. We distinguish between daughters who are household heads and daughters who are wives. We find parents receive substantially more care from daughters than from sons. The caregiving role of daughters who are household heads differs notably from that of wives. An analysis of caregiving, employment, and housework shows that children who are caregivers devote more combined hours to these activities than children who do not provide care.     

Patterns of Conflict and Anger in Women Sixty Years Old or Older:

This study explored the experience and expressions of conflict/anger in nine women between the ages of 62 and 79 years. Three themes related to events of conflict were described: (1) avoidance ("just forget it"); (2) covert retaliation ("It would tickle me . . . I know a way to get back"); and (3) no acknowledgement. In addition, one feeling theme emerged and was characterized by feelings of isolation and estrangement. The women appeared to go to great lengths to avoid conflict rather than risk disruption of personal relationships. Noteworthy were the lasting and vivid memories of the interactions involving conflict and the intensity of the emotions described.     

Older Women with Cardiovascular Disease: Perceptions of Initial Experiences and Long-Term Influences on Daily Life

ABSTRACT

In 2004, we conducted qualitative interviews with 29 White women diagnosed with cardiovascular disease (CVD) living in Southwest Virginia, aged 69 to 92 years (M age = 79.2 years; SD = 6.8); time since diagnosis ranged from 1 to 50 years (M = 14.3; SD = 11.2). We explored the women's initial illness episode and the influence of CVD on their current daily functioning, family activities and relationships, and social engagement. The women were slow to seek help for CVD symptoms. Postrecovery, 62% of women perceived their heart disease as influencing change in their daily lives. The influence of CVD varied depending on how congruent behavior changes were with their sense of self.     

The Influence of the Built Environment and Other Factors on the Physical Activity of Older Women from Different Ethnic Communities

ABSTRACT

Inactivity has been identified as a major contributor to the burden of disease in older women. Study aims were: (a) to assess the personal, social, and environmental facilitators and impediments to physical activity in older women from ethnic communities; and (b) to determine the factors associated with physical activity participation. Older women (aged 60–84 years) were recruited from the local Italian (n = 20), Vietnamese (n = 26) and Anglo-Celtic (n = 26) communities. A survey questionnaire was administered in the participants' preferred language. The most common barriers were: “I am not in good health,” “I am self-conscious about my looks,” “I am too tired,” “I don't have time,” and “The weather is bad.” When comparing the ethnic groups, the Vietnamese women reported fewer barriers than the Italian women (2.6 vs. 5.9). While the Vietnamese women were much more likely to report being “self-conscious about my looks,” the Italian women more commonly reported poor health, being too tired, and not liking exercise as barriers. Overall, those living alone were more likely to be active and those who reported fear of injury, less active. Recognizing ethnospecific differences in the prevalence of barriers may be important when devising strategies to increase activity levels of older women.     

Knowledge and Attitudes About HIV/AIDS Among Community-Living Older Women: Reexamining Issues of Age and Gender

ABSTRACT

Although older women face unique risks related to HIV/AIDS, little empirical data is available regarding HIV/AIDS among women over the age of 65. In the present study, 160 community-living older women and men completed questionnaires regarding knowledge and attitudes about HIV/AIDS. Findings showed that although older women were less likely to talk to their physician about HIV than men, they maintained greater knowledge and generally dispelled myths about viral transmission. However, most older women believed that HIV/AIDS had limited personal relevance, possessed virtually no knowledge of age and gender specific risk factors, and professed HIV-associated stigma. These findings highlight the need for gender and age specific prevention programs.     

How Lesbian and Heterosexual Women View Relationships,Sex, and Virginity: Explorations With a Singapore Sample

Thirty-eight lesbian and 38 heterosexual women in Singapore (ages 21 to 35) discussed relationships, sex, and virginity in focus groups. Views were mostly similar between the two groups, although there were differences. All participants defined relationships as romantic involvement. However, while heterosexual participants equated commitment with monogamy, lesbian participants distinguished them. All participants differentiated between having sex (for thrill and fun) and making love (for expressing love), although there were differences in the purposes of making love. Primacy of penetration was found in defining virginity loss, but for many participants, virginity was important only insofar as it indicated sexual permissiveness.     

高知大龄未婚女性的婚恋问题浅析

在男女性别比居高不下。男性人口远远高于女性人口的当今中国,却出现了高知大龄未婚女性婚恋难问题,这一奇特的社会现象引起人们广泛的关注和热议。本文认为高知大龄未婚女性婚恋问题主要源于“结构性剩余”,在对高知大龄未婚女性婚恋难问题已有的多角度理论研究回顾的基础上．主要从人口与经济的视角对高知大龄未婚女性“结构性剩余”现象的原因进行深入发掘。最后提出一些解决问题的举措。