Being An Older Woman

In Being an Older Woman: A Study in the Social Production of Identity, Isabella Paoletti examines how older women's identities are socially constructed and, in particular, how they can be influenced by institutional intervention. The interest in identity production is not only theoretical, but also practical. Different perceptions of oneself as an older woman involve considerable differences in the definition of the person's possible sphere of action, and therefore, in her life perspective. Based on the experiences of Italian women who participated in the European Older Women's Project, this study explores how gender and age identities are interactionally constructed in specific institutional contexts. Being an Older Woman describes the discourse and social practices that constitute older women's identities, helping to identify and deconstruct those stereotypes that tend to produce marginalization of older people. As a resource for scholars in discourse, gender studies, aging and gerontology, this volume gives new perspectives on the construction of perceptions of older women as well as contributing images of them as active, lively, and appealing human beings.