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(Non-)Politicized Ageism: Exploring the Multiple Identities of Older Activists

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  • Daniel Blanche-T.

    (Internet Interdisciplinary Institute, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, 08018 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Mireia Fernández-Ardèvol

    (Internet Interdisciplinary Institute, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, 08018 Barcelona, Spain)

Abstract

The increase in ageing populations has spurred predictions on the growth of a politically powerful old-age bloc. While their protest mobilizations have risen to reach youth standards, there is scarce scholarly evidence of the role of multiple identities in older activists’ involvement. We address this gap by interviewing activists in Iaioflautas, an older adults’ social movement emerging from the heat of the protest cycles in Spain in 2011. In-depth interviews with 15 members of varying levels of involvement revealed the paramount role of the movement in the identity construction of its participants. Iaioflautas endows a strong sense of collective identity based on intergenerational solidarity and enables to counter the culturally devalued identity of older adults and retirees. Whereas perceptions of widespread ageist stereotypes against older adults abound in this group, they omit to view the movement through an old-age identity politics lens. Furthermore, they reproduce ageist attitudes against age peers refraining from active involvement. This paradox suggests that the non-politicization of ageism restrains the development of a collective identity based on old age. We highlight how an increase in ageing populations might advance this issue in future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel Blanche-T. & Mireia Fernández-Ardèvol, 2022. "(Non-)Politicized Ageism: Exploring the Multiple Identities of Older Activists," Societies, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-14, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:12:y:2022:i:2:p:40-:d:762577
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alistair Ross, 2018. "Young Europeans: A New Political Generation?," Societies, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-24, August.
    2. Molly Andrews, 2017. "Enduring ideals: revisiting Lifetimes of Commitment twenty-five years later," Contemporary Social Science, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(1-2), pages 153-163, April.
    3. Mary Ellen Stone & Jielu Lin & Dale Dannefer & Jessica A. Kelley-Moore, 2017. "The Continued Eclipse of Heterogeneity in Gerontological Research," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 72(1), pages 162-167.
    4. Hank Johnston, 2019. "The Elephant in the Room: Youth, Cognition, and Student Groups in Mass Social Movements," Societies, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-19, August.
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