No place for old women: a critical inquiry into age in later working life

Western countries currently face pressing demands to transform the labour market participation of older workers, in order to address the pressing economic and social challenges of an ageing population. However, in this article we argue that our understanding of older workers is limited by a dominant...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ageing and society 2017-07, Vol.37 (6), p.1156-1178
Main Authors: LOTHERINGTON, ANN THERESE, OBSTFELDER, AUD, HALFORD, SUSAN
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age differences
ageing
Aging
Elderly men
Elderly women
Feminism
Feminist theory
gender
Health sciences: 800
Health services
Labor force participation
Labor market
Medical disciplines: 700
Men
Nurses
Older people
Older workers
organisations
Public health
Retirement
Theory
VDP
Womens health
Workers
Working women
Younger workers
Youth
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Summary:Western countries currently face pressing demands to transform the labour market participation of older workers, in order to address the pressing economic and social challenges of an ageing population. However, in this article we argue that our understanding of older workers is limited by a dominant discourse that emphasises individuals rather than organisations; and valorises youth as the performative aspiration for all workers, regardless of age. To see things differently, and to see different things, we offer a novel analytical synthesis that combines insights from post-foundational feminist theory, the 2007 film No Country for Old Men and an empirical study of older nurses working in the Norwegian public health-care system. Our aim is to provide the foundations for alternative interventions in the world of work that might underpin a more sustainable future for older workers.
ISSN:0144-686X
1469-1779
1469-1779
DOI:10.1017/S0144686X16000064