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Understanding unequal ageing: towards a synthesis of intersectionality and life course analyses

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  • Daniel Holman

    (The University of Sheffield)

  • Alan Walker

    (The University of Sheffield)

Abstract

Intersectionality has received an increasing amount of attention in health inequalities research in recent years. It suggests that treating social characteristics separately—mainly age, gender, ethnicity, and socio-economic position—does not match the reality that people simultaneously embody multiple characteristics and are therefore potentially subject to multiple forms of discrimination. Yet the intersectionality literature has paid very little attention to the nature of ageing or the life course, and gerontology has rarely incorporated insights from intersectionality. In this paper, we aim to illustrate how intersectionality might be synthesised with a life course perspective to deliver novel insights into unequal ageing, especially with respect to health. First we provide an overview of how intersectionality can be used in research on inequality, focusing on intersectional subgroups, discrimination, categorisation, and individual heterogeneity. We cover two key approaches—the use of interaction terms in conventional models and multilevel models which are particularly focussed on granular subgroup differences. In advancing a conceptual dialogue with the life course perspective, we discuss the concepts of roles, life stages, transitions, age/cohort, cumulative disadvantage/advantage, and trajectories. We conclude that the synergies between intersectionality and the life course hold exciting opportunities to bring new insights to unequal ageing and its attendant health inequalities.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel Holman & Alan Walker, 2021. "Understanding unequal ageing: towards a synthesis of intersectionality and life course analyses," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 239-255, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:eujoag:v:18:y:2021:i:2:d:10.1007_s10433-020-00582-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s10433-020-00582-7
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Laura Tinner & Daniel Holman & Stephanie Ejegi-Memeh & Anthony A. Laverty, 2023. "Use of Intersectionality Theory in Interventional Health Research in High-Income Countries: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(14), pages 1-20, July.
    2. Bell, Andrew & Evans, Clare & Holman, Daniel & Leckie, George, 2023. "Extending intersectional Multilevel Analysis of Individual Heterogeneity and Discriminatory Accuracy (MAIHDA) for longitudinal data, with application to mental health trajectories in the UK," SocArXiv jq57s, Center for Open Science.
    3. Alan Stone & Nicholas Harkiolakis, 2022. "Technology Boom(ers): How US Multinational Technology Companies Are Preparing for an Ageing Workforce," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-14, July.
    4. María Sánchez-Román & Gadea Autric-Tamayo & Gloria Fernandez-Mayoralas & Fermina Rojo-Perez & María Silveria Agulló-Tomás & Diego Sánchez-González & Vicente Rodriguez-Rodriguez, 2022. "Social Image of Old Age, Gendered Ageism and Inclusive Places: Older People in the Media," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-26, December.

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