Outlining and Applying an Intersectional Framework

In this presentation, we begin by outlining an intersectional framework.  In so doing, we demonstrate that such an approach is not a listing of experiences of multiple, fragmented groups, but instead uses power relations to tie together the similar and different experiences of elders.  We then briefly describe some of the main intersecting systems of inequality, and how they relate to one another and shape old age experiences. In this regard, we pay special attention to two power relations. First, we focus on age relations, an inequality often ignored by gerontologists despite their interest in old age. Second, we discuss relations of sexuality, as this is often reduced to identity and not a power relation.   We conclude by briefly demonstrating the use of an intersectional framework in an exploration of aging bodies.