Older women - 'doing things a different way' : ageism, sexism and leisure activities

Abstract

According to the dominant discourses on ageing and on women in our society, older women are unproductive, unwell, inactive grandmothers who spend most of their time sitting, knitting in rocking chairs - their main use in life is as unpaid baby sitters. Using Weedon's post-structuralist, feminist, analysis this thesis focuses on a small group of 'ordinary' older women whose daily lives defy ageism and sexism - the dynamics of their freedoms and constraints are explored. The findings suggest that it is not until they are free of responsibility for their husbands and children that older women are free to fully participate in leisure on their own terms.