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Section One: The Fundamentals
A) Keywords
Exercise 1:
Provide a brief definition of one of the padlet keywords for this week.
| The keyword I chose is “Third Age,” which is a concept I am familiar with. I heard that it refers to individuals who have retired, and are still in good or well physical health and independence, before the fourth age, where it declines and more dependency is typically needed. Often known as empty nesters, having children grown up and moved out, and having spare time on their hands as no longer having to work full time. Typically, at this stage, it’s displayed as a time for these individuals to remain active and productive within society, which may be through travelling, sports, volunteering or further learning and education. What I found was new to me was that the keyword is often publicly displayed through a narrow lens, showing and describing often certain types of bodies stereotypically as white, able-bodied, and middle-class within sports. The videos from the module displayed that there is dominant narratives culturally displaying what aging successfully looks like which often can be a barrier for older women with other factors involved such as gendered expectations and sterotypes which promnotes exlclusions structurally within facilities and programs available. I also noticed that the videos displayed physically active women, but at the same time failed to provide proper spaces for older women to be able to participate within multiple environments. It gave a sense of judgment or inaccessibility if one person doesn’t fit the ideal constructs of society.
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B) The Social Significance of Aging in Sport
Exercise 2: Notebook Prompt
How is old age popularly represented today? Find an image online that you think exemplifies one defining attitude towards old age and paste in your notebook below with a brief explanation of what this image means to you.
| https://www.google.com/imgres?q=old%20person&imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcompote.slate.com%2Fimages%2F66168178-3547-4917-8ea9-12938af61a04.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fslate.com%2Fhuman-interest%2F2013%2F02%2Fwhat-are-some-of-the-best-qualities-of-elderly-people.html&docid=co-4mAoqvvZ_yM&tbnid=dcGqdRT89X8_NM&vet=12ahUKEwi8sY6t-8SMAxUYrokEHTKjKlIQM3oECBYQAA..i&w=568&h=477&hcb=2&ved=2ahUKEwi8sY6t-8SMAxUYrokEHTKjKlIQM3oECBYQAA
The image I chose is a typical example of how old age is falsely advertised and idealized within popular media. Portraying aging as a cheerful and problem-free affair, mainly featuring white middle-class seniors who are healthy, well-dressed and socially outgoing. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying oneself in older age. Still, the issue is that it’s a dominant and prevalent portrayal often referred to as the standard in measuring aging adults. From my experience working in a retirement home,, I saw firsthand the contrast of reality and pretenses displayed and advertised to the general public. During marketing or public events, photos were carefully staged to show only the healthiest and happiest residents, often focusing on those who were not attached to oxygen tanks or in wheelchairs or having visible mental or physical illness and impairments, as these individuals were excluded or removed in the final shots before going onto public media platforms. It was made clear that disability or having a chronic illness and being in decline were to be intentionally hidden from public view, even though it’s a very real part of aging for many people. It gave a sense of favouring ableist and classist narratives that excluded the majority of elders who didn’t fit those strict ideals of staff and the society’s constructs. This resulted in a narrow depiction of the realities of elders in being unseen or even feeling ashamed to be part of such displays of public representations, rather than being embraced, supported, and valued as individuals. |
Exercise 3: Notebook Prompt
What does the article (referencing another study by Dionigi) mean by its statement that sport can help aging people to simultaneously “accept and resist the ageing process” (572)? Respond by audio or text and find paste two images sourced online into your notebook showing how sport might help aging people to both accept and resist the aging process.
| The article suggests that for aging people in allowing them to adapt to their physical and mental changes would also challenge the negative stereotypes of what elder people can or cant do.
The first image I chose was of the oldest woman on record who is a yoga instructor and practices yoga as a way of mindfulness and resistance to the sterotypical standard of what society views of what a yoga instructor typically looks like along with strength and acecptance as she transtitions physically in accepting her body and others in accommodating techjniques that work for everyone whatever stage they are in their age or their physcial capabilitities. The second photo I chose was also an older man lifting weights as another form of strength and resistance to the stereotype of working out at the gym or at home. I work for a chiro and physio clinic and often have older clients coming in for their regular routines to stay in shape. Together, both these images reflect how sports can empower older people to engage with their aging on their own terms, not by what society’s normative standards stereotype, it allows them to care for their bodies and stay active, which defies societal expectations. |
Exercise 4: Notebook Prompt
Who are the groups less likely to have extensive opportunities to take part in sports, according to Pike? How does privilege factor into aging and sport? (200 words max)
| According to Pike, groups that may be less likely to have extensive opportunities to participate in sports are older women, racialized individuals and those with disabilities and from lower-class backgrounds. These structural barriers can include a lack of inclusive programs, financial limitations and restrictions, or limited accessibility to facilities and limited transportation. Furthermore, these individuals may be affected by stereotyping and societal expectations, particularly regarding gender and age, shaping who is visible and seen as appropriate for sports. As for privilege, it plays a significant role in shaping who has access to sports in all stages of life. It can be affected by economic means, or having stable health, and the social support systems in place for individuals’ communities determine how likely one is to be involved with recreational and organized sports. It also determines the influences of what aging bodies are represented and even celebrated publicly. Most of the time, it’s white, able-bodied individuals and middle-class individuals who fit the narrow lenses of successful aging. I found that as my aging grandparents deteriorated and were often excluded and overlooked from the community and public programs, or the medical field in giving them equipment or accessibility to resources they needed to ensure their well-being and overall health were prioritized and taken care of. Political and societal changes need to change, as again, it’s not a choice; it’s a part of life, and in sports, the opportunities and space need to be set in place and made available to encourage those to participate.
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Exercise 5: Padlet Discussion
Why do you think age discrimination is “reported more than any form of prejudice” with older people presented as a threat to social values and interests? Feel welcome to use video in your responses. Paste your comments (or transcript of your video) below!
| I think age discrimination is often reported more than other forms of prejudice because of the effects it has on the people across all communities within society, and usually can be normalized in ways other prejudices are not. For example, racism and sexism, which are widely recognized and challenges, ageism is generally invisible to society, where it may be interpreted as jokes, or through the hiring practices for business and companies, or even health care decisions in the medical field and professionals, where it can also be displayed within media representations. I found when helping support my grandparents in their late 70s and 80s with onset dementia, mobility issues and some health concerns, in general, people and professionals treated my grandparents as a burden or a significant expense on pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and medical professionals in having doctors’ visits, tests, and homecare such as nurses and PSW’s, Another thing I noticed was that because of my grandparents age it was often discussed when doing methods they were comfortable with or routines that it was outdated, or not with the current cultures and practices of soceital norms. I found it formed aging as a downward decline and not something that is a natural part of life, and that as a result, people who age, it’s something to fear or dread or worse to be pitied. I believe as a bigger picture due to the capitalism structure within our society where everything is based on montetarty value and and productivity to be successful in being a part of societys ideals those who do not fit those constructs any longer are equivialanat to less than, a hinderance or burden and the value of them lowers the more that the person doesn’t fit within those rigid frameworks. Due to prejudices of societal values where the main categories of success are prized in being independent or having an economic output and influence, or being digitally tech savvy, these traits are often wrongly assumed that older people cannot associate with those things. Yet in truth, aging brings a wealth of wisdom and worldly experiences and community insights that are such valuable parts of intergenerational knowledge, and without them, we lose who we are as people and what it means to age within a capitalist, structured society.
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B) Older Women and Sport
Exercise 6: Notebook Prompt
What differences do you see in these ads? Which one is more inclusive? How is age represented or not represented in each? Answer these questions in your notebook.
| At first glance, comparing the two videos, This Girl Can- Me Again I found focused on everyday women who were reclaiming their lives through physical activities and moving, especially at different life stages for instance after child birth, or again or having mentla health struggles which I found realistic and relatable. As for Nike- You Cant stop us I enjoyed the bold colors used throughout the video where it showed resilience and coming together to form communitties while also pushing beyond the boundaries of society for sports where it gave views of athletes. I also found that one was more raw at its core, where it was using real people with real bodies and varying environments, which may be in people’s homes. versus Nike, it was like cinema action being all dramatic and showing power and inspiration from athletes’ demonstrations. I personally found the video This Girl Can- Me Again was more inclusive in many ways from having body diversity to multiple stages of ages, and everyday real life and the mental and physical and emtional challenges that come with it. Where as Nike though it was a powerful message and demonstration I found it focused on younger age groups and took narration from athletes that didnt display again or possible life struggles that may be encountered. In all I found age was representated differently for each video This Girl Can showed older women, and moms and people who were in varying stages of their lives who were redisocvering themselves and participating in physical activitities which challenges the idea that only young people can do fitness. Where as Nike I noticed a lack of diversity in different age groups as it focused on youths pushing for high performance which takes away visibility for older atheltes or those who are going through aging experiences.
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Exercise 7: Notebook Prompt
In her article, “Assessing the sociology of sport: On age and ability,” Elizabeth Pike references a “trend towards a ‘feminisation of ageing’, with many women living longer than men” (573). Do you agree that aging has been “feminized” in this way? How? Answer these questions in your notebook.
| I would have to say I agree with Elizabeth Pikes description on aging being feminized. I beleive there are several reasons for this including society and culture and statistics of how in general women live longer than men, and due to years of historically influences pushing on women due to themese of gender and sexism. Examples of this are in media and ads where it often focuses on womens aging as a problem needing to be fixed through beauty products, surgies, and health wellness routines that all are intertwined with reinforcing the ideals that womens value are based on youth and appearance not a part of a natrual process in life. Another important aspect that is gendered is how women are identified as care givers and nurtures where many older women are seen or connected to caring for their spouse, children and grandchildren, yet in reality who is caring for them? due to longevitiy of women many end up in long term care facilitties and yet its still not a widely discussed topic on the visibility of aging women and the discussion that are entailed in aging and dependancy. To tie it in with the course on sports and physical activitities they are also impacted from feminization on aging, where mayn women are sterotyped as being defined as frasgile, or modest, and soeciatel and cultrual pressures steer women away from active lifestyles. Due to this sibjection from social pressures it is maintinag the status quo of inequality for all stages of life for women.
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Section Three: Module Mini Assignment
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Feedback/Errata