Essay About Midlife

As these accounts show women do not always prioritise physical appearance as the most significant body issue during midlife. This is illustrated by Zahira whose main concern is to remain active and physically capable, in order to avoid dependency on her family. Further, in contrast to white British/English women other participants did not refer to their other bodies as a ‘shell’ masking an inner more youthful identity. This suggests those theoretical approaches to midlife that emphasise consumer culture, the changing boundaries of midlife and the mask of ageing, are culturally bound (e.g. Biggs, 1997, Featherstone and Hepworth, 1990 and Featherstone and Hepworth, 1996). Additionally, it highlights the importance of developing theoretical perspectives …show more content…
Despite this, theories of midlife tend to be western specific and this often limits their ability to make visible those experiences and perceptions that differ from the hegemonic norm. In conclusion, I am arguing for an approach to understanding midlife that is sensitive to the nuances of ethnic and cultural difference, and the diverse life experiences those produce. In this I am suggesting that future conceptualisations of midlife need to be developed within a culturally sensitive theoretical framework that is able to adequately represent the rich diversity of experience that typifies midlife (Wray, 2004). Empirical research is required to further develop and locate current perspectives that theorise midlife as a consumer event (Featherstone & Hepworth, 1996), a potentially alienating experience (Biggs, 1999 and Biggs, 2003), or a time of freedom and opportunity (Laslett, 1987). Ultimately, these theoretical perspectives do not consider how the ‘priorities’ they focus upon differ across ethnicity and culture. Thus, the theoretical advancement of midlife is contingent upon its ability to represent those different voices that construct and make sense of