The critical use of narrative and literature in gerontology

Abstract

It is now widely accepted that ''age'' and ''ageing'' are cultural concepts that are open to question. The thinking encouraged by critical gerontology has been crucially important in provoking questions about the complexities of later life, age and ageing. Similarly, the interrogation of stories of age and ageing via narrative approaches and as found in literature are increasingly recognised as an important source of knowledge for mining the intricacies of later life. There are close links between the interests of critical gerontologists and those who engage in narrative and literary gerontology. However, the potential that critical gerontology has for illuminating and probing these stories of age has often been neglected. The central argument of this article is that narrative and literary approaches to age and ageing when allied to perspectives from critical gerontology can furnish scholars with important perspectives for interpreting and re-configuring ''age''. The focus is upon how a genuinely dialogic relationship between critical gerontology and narrative and literary gerontology can be forged. In this way, the full potential of these stories of ageing; their epistemological status for enriching theoretical work on ageing, might be better exploited.

“The play’s the thing”: theatre as a scholarly meeting ground in age studies

“…Noice & Noice 2009), a turn towards research of the production of a published play script in a theatre setting (which I will call ''traditional'' theatre) affords rich possibilities for age-oriented scholars. Zeilig (2012) asserts that ''narrative and literary approaches to age and ageing when allied to perspectives from critical gerontology can furnish scholars with important perspectives for interpreting and re-configuring 'age''' (7). Similarly, age studies could benefit from the multiplicity of research opportunities as yet unexplored in the traditional theatre, from professional and community productions to troupes specialising in senior theatre.…”

A Call to Arms for the Aged Care Sector: A Spotlight on Systematic Abuse and Neglect of Older Disabled Persons

“…Currently there exists a dearth of critical thinking about aging and disability. Zeilig [117] proffers the view that critical gerontology offers an important opportunity to raise complex questions concerning old age and aging. For Zeilig, critical gerontology provides the means to "radically re-think the ways in which age and ageing have been culturally configured…which aims to unsettle our habitual and comfortable frameworks and needle us towards personal and cultural transformation".…”

Accessing rural health services: Results from a qualitative narrative gerontological study

“…Collective narratives are recognised as a legitimate form of presenting narrative data. 21 All aspects of the analytic process were iterative, inductive, data-driven and focused on semantic content. 15 A summary of the collective narratives was offered to participants.…”

“…Through an iterative process, the narrative segments were reworked, conceptualised and presented as collective narratives. Collective narratives are recognised as a legitimate form of presenting narrative data . All aspects of the analytic process were iterative, inductive, data‐driven and focused on semantic content .…”