Resisting and minimizing old age impositions
As the analysis unfolds, I noticed a deeper tension in age construction. Older workers demonstrate a disparity between how they perceived age and how others do. They hold non-conventional beliefs about age as the embrace an ageless identity, but at times, others label them old following traditional old age scripts in interaction. However, as workers face this struggle they aim to control and minimize age meanings that contradict with their perception of age. Nati, a seventy-year “young” old woman, who works at the transportation company as a bus monitor, grapples with the old/non-old dilemma:
Nicole: Since turning 62 years old, what situations have you personally experienced because of your age?
Nati: I see a few people when I go to Walmart and they want to help me. That may be because of my age.
Nicole: Can you tell me how? …show more content…
People with gray hair are grandmas, and a lot of people want to help the elderly and now after all these years, I’m one of the people. I am [pause] an elderly. I don’t want to be. But I think it’s the hair and I think that is why the babies love me. I see a child and they gravitate to me. I swear. I don’t have to do anything and they come to me. I was at the doctor’s office and this lady with this little girl she comes running to me and threw her arms around me and I say, “hi sweetie.” Her mom told her that was not polite. I say, “oh no, that’s fine.” I say children just gravitate to me. I don’t know if it’s the hair or I look like their grammie. I don’t know I don’t know what it is. I experience it but not in a bad
As the analysis unfolds, I noticed a deeper tension in age construction. Older workers demonstrate a disparity between how they perceived age and how others do. They hold non-conventional beliefs about age as the embrace an ageless identity, but at times, others label them old following traditional old age scripts in interaction. However, as workers face this struggle they aim to control and minimize age meanings that contradict with their perception of age. Nati, a seventy-year “young” old woman, who works at the transportation company as a bus monitor, grapples with the old/non-old dilemma:
Nicole: Since turning 62 years old, what situations have you personally experienced because of your age?
Nati: I see a few people when I go to Walmart and they want to help me. That may be because of my age.
Nicole: Can you tell me how? …show more content…
People with gray hair are grandmas, and a lot of people want to help the elderly and now after all these years, I’m one of the people. I am [pause] an elderly. I don’t want to be. But I think it’s the hair and I think that is why the babies love me. I see a child and they gravitate to me. I swear. I don’t have to do anything and they come to me. I was at the doctor’s office and this lady with this little girl she comes running to me and threw her arms around me and I say, “hi sweetie.” Her mom told her that was not polite. I say, “oh no, that’s fine.” I say children just gravitate to me. I don’t know if it’s the hair or I look like their grammie. I don’t know I don’t know what it is. I experience it but not in a bad