This study scrutinizes the intersection of gender, sexuality, and aging through the lens of autism spectrum disorder's medical classification as a discrete category. A significant gender disparity in autism diagnosis arises from the male-centric perception of autism, leading to girls being diagnosed significantly less frequently and later than boys. check details Conversely, the emphasis on portraying autism as a childhood disorder leads to discriminatory practices against adult autistic individuals, such as infantilization, while simultaneously neglecting their sexual desires or misinterpreting their sexual behaviors as dangerous or inappropriate. Autistic individuals' ability to navigate adulthood is often underestimated, leading to infantilization and significantly impacting the expression of their sexuality and their experiences of aging. check details The implications of my study highlight the importance of promoting knowledge and further learning on the infantilization of autism, thereby revealing a critical understanding of disability. By contesting established norms of gender, aging, and sexuality, the diverse bodily experiences of autistic individuals scrutinize medical authority, societal policies, and public portrayals of autism within the wider social sphere.
The New Woman's premature aging in the context of patriarchal marriage at the fin de siècle is the subject of this article, which leverages Sarah Grand's The Heavenly Twins (1893/1992) for analysis. Female degeneration is the core of the novel, featuring three young, married New Women unable to meet the demanding national ideals of rebirth, dying in their twenties. Their military husbands, propagating the ideology of progress at the imperial frontier, exhibit moral and sexual degeneracy, leading to their premature decline. Using the lens of my article, we can understand how the patriarchal culture of late Victorian society quickened the pace of aging for women in marriage. Excruciating syphilis and the oppressive patriarchal culture are not separate, but interwoven forces creating the mental and physical illnesses experienced by Victorian wives in their twenties. Grand's critique of the late Victorian era ultimately reveals the opposing viewpoint to the male-centric ideology of progress, highlighting the limited prospects for the New Woman's vision of female-led renewal.
This paper examines the validity of formal ethical guidelines for individuals with dementia, as mandated by the Mental Capacity Act of 2005, within the context of England and Wales. Under the provisions of the Act, any research conducted on people diagnosed with dementia must be cleared by the committees of the Health Research Authority, regardless of its relationship with healthcare organizations or service users. Illustrative of this point, I examine two ethnographic studies of dementia that, while not utilizing healthcare services, nonetheless demand ethical review by the Human Research Authority. The occurrences of these events prompt inquiries into the validity and mutual obligations within dementia governance. The state's capacity laws place individuals with dementia under its purview, defining them as healthcare subjects by their diagnosis alone. The diagnosis serves as a form of administrative medicalization, making dementia a medical issue and those diagnosed with it subject to the control of formal healthcare. In England and Wales, a considerable number of people living with dementia do not benefit from associated health or care support after the initial diagnosis. The disparity between strong governance and weak support within institutions weakens the contractual citizenship of individuals with dementia, a relationship where reciprocal rights and duties between state and citizen should ideally exist. The resistance to this system presents an important theme in my ethnographic research. Here, resistance isn't inherently intended to be deliberate, hostile, challenging, or perceived in that way. Instead, it describes micropolitical outcomes that contradict power or control, sometimes emerging directly from the systems themselves, not just from individual actors. Resistance, sometimes unintentional, arises from commonplace failures to meet specific aspects of bureaucratic governance. Willful disregard for restrictions perceived as impractical, unsuitable, or unjust can also manifest, potentially raising issues of malpractice and professional misconduct. I advocate that the augmentation of governmental bureaucracies renders resistance more likely to occur. The probability of both intentional and unintentional infringements elevates, but simultaneously, the opportunity to expose and rectify these infringements decreases, because a massive resource commitment is crucial for controlling such a system. Hidden within the maelstrom of ethical and bureaucratic conflicts are those struggling with dementia. People with dementia are often not involved in the decision-making processes of committees regarding their research participation. This action further exacerbates the disenfranchising nature of ethical governance within the dementia research sector. The state requires differing care for people with dementia, regardless of their preference. In countering exploitative governance, a case could be made for an inherent ethical stance, but I suggest that such a binary approach oversimplifies the complexity of the issue.
The scholarly study of Cuban senior migration to Spain seeks to remedy the lack of knowledge concerning such migrations, broadening the scope beyond the simple question of lifestyle mobility; by acknowledging the significance of transnational diasporic networks; and by examining the Cuban community present outside the United States. This case study showcases the active roles of older Cuban adults immigrating to the Canary Islands, influenced by a drive for better material conditions and utilization of diaspora relationships. Yet, this movement simultaneously elicits feelings of being uprooted and nostalgia in their advanced years. Migration research gains a fresh perspective by incorporating mixed methodologies and the life course of migrants, enabling reflection on the interplay of cultural and social influences on aging. This research, consequently, delves deeper into human mobility during counter-diasporic migration, particularly from the perspective of aging, revealing the interplay between emigration, the life cycle, and the remarkable resilience and accomplishments of those who choose to emigrate despite their advanced age.
This document investigates the connection between the characteristics of older adults' social circles and their feelings of loneliness. check details Leveraging a mixed-methods investigation, encompassing 165 surveys and 50 in-depth interviews from a larger pool of participants, we explore the distinct support mechanisms offered by strong and weak ties in lessening feelings of loneliness. Statistical modeling, specifically regression, demonstrates that the frequency of contact with close relationships is a more significant factor than the number of close relationships in mitigating feelings of loneliness. In contrast to the effect of strong ties, a larger number of weak connections is positively correlated with less loneliness. Qualitative interviews revealed that strong ties can suffer from geographic separation, relationship discord, or a gradual decline in the strength of the bond. Alternatively, a greater abundance of peripheral connections, in contrast, elevates the prospect of support and involvement during critical moments, facilitating reciprocal exchanges between individuals and providing entry into fresh social circles and networks. Studies from the past have examined the supporting roles of powerful and weaker social relationships. The research conducted demonstrates the varied forms of aid offered through strong and weak social bonds, emphasizing the significance of a diversified social network in lessening feelings of loneliness. Furthermore, our investigation emphasizes the part played by shifting social networks and the presence of social contacts in later life, which are vital for understanding how social relationships counteract loneliness.
This article builds upon a conversation spanning three decades in this journal, aiming to promote critical engagement with age and ageing, through the lens of gender and sexuality. My research is informed by a defined group of single Chinese women residing in Beijing or Shanghai. 24 individuals, aged between 1962 and 1990, were invited to delve into their imagined retirement futures, considering the Chinese cultural context, with a mandatory retirement age of 55 or 50 for women, and 60 for men. I have established three key research objectives: to include this group of single women in retirement and aging research; to meticulously record their imaginative depictions of retirement; and finally, to use their individual perspectives to re-evaluate dominant frameworks of aging, particularly the 'successful aging' model. The empirical record showcases the desire of single women for financial autonomy, yet the concrete steps needed to achieve it are frequently overlooked. They also value the diversity of their retirement dreams, ranging from the places they hope to live to the people they wish to share their lives with and the experiences they hope to pursue – encompassing both established and new ambitions. Inspired by 'yanglao,' a term used in lieu of 'retirement,' I believe that 'formative ageing' offers a more comprehensive and less restrictive way of conceptualizing the aging process.
A historical analysis of Yugoslavia's post-WWII period investigates its state-led campaigns for the modernization and unification of its peasantry, offering comparisons with other communist countries' experiences. The Yugoslav project, while ostensibly creating a 'Yugoslav way' separate from Soviet socialism, found its practices and motives remarkably akin to Soviet modernization programs. The article scrutinizes the state's modernization efforts, focusing on the evolving role of vracara (elder women folk healers). In Russia, Soviet babki were considered a threat to the new social order, mirroring the Yugoslav state's targeting of vracare with anti-folk-medicine propaganda.