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Pathways Of Aging: Old Women's Gendered Narratives and Cultural-Historical Locations
Social gerontology has moved away from a focus on old age per se to the recognition of old age as part of the life-course, and more importantly, as the result of a lifetime’s experiences. In this paper I explore the themes that old Mexican women themselves identified as important in shaping their pathways towards old age. I do so by employing a thematic-narrative analysis of multiple in-depth interviews with 32 women aged 60 to 89.
Throughout their life-course the women’s personal biographies, their current social, cultural and economic locations have been informed by a range of structural factors, institutions and personal attitudes, choices and opportunities. My intention is to stress the importance of structural and personal mechanisms that underpin the socio-cultural construction of aging and old age; the relation between the objective reality and subjective experiences of aging. By making references to the women’s historical and cultural location and their gender socialisation, I contend that not only is there an individual biography, but also a collective story.
There is however diversity amongst these women’s life experiences. Through some specific actions such as attaining higher education and continuing to work after marriage, they enacted their individual agency and challenged the prevailing patriarchal narrative. Their actions although offering ‘liberating’ narratives, become more evident in the experience of their daughters and granddaughters. The women’s –formal and informal- participation in the labour market has not brought them real benefits in their old age, as most of them do not have their own occupational pension, thus making the role of the family central to their well-being in old age. This is relevant in relation to family arrangements and commitments that define the contexts of care and the social and economic capital these women have access to.