6
Section One: The Fundamentals
A) Keywords
Exercise 1:
Provide a brief definition of one of the padlet keywords for this week.
Equity: Equity, not to be confused with equality, is the act of providing people with the resources and opportunities they need. Instead of treating everyone the exact same (equality), equity takes into account people’s different situations and needs. Equity is actually fairer than equality because it levels the playing field. I often think about the above image as a great demonstration of this concept.
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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.
To me, this image shows a negative stereotype of aging. It comes from an article about taking care of your parents as they age and being mindful about what technology they can access. It makes fully functioning older adults appear as if they cannot understand phone and need to be kept away from using new technology without a younger adult to protect them. |
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.
 
I like these two images because they demonstrate active participation in sports from older adults while respecting that they can still participate in activities with their peers. In the first image, aging people are playing soccer, staying active and healthy while maintaining their love for a timeless game. In the second image, older men are running on a traditional track, clearly in a racing stance. I think the choice to still participate in activities that people may have played since they were children helps folks resist the aging process; they are staying healthy physically and mentally. While they may have to make some modifications to the way they race or play (which is an acceptance in a way,) these individuals are still enjoying their sport. It can also help them accept their aging, by acknowledging that their physical abilities may have changed, and that is okay. It does not change their love for staying active and playing. |
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)
| Pike explains that adults with disabilities, who are quite frail, are certain minority ethnic groups, are confined to care facilities, and people living in rural areas are less likely to have opportunities to participate in sports. As with all things, privilege is vital in this conversation; research heavily examines white middle-class people and does not explore the experiences and opportunities of black people and women. Privileged individuals are more likely to have access to advanced care, extra support, and specific activities. Beyond sport, Pike also discusses the challenges that come with aging for people with limited access to economic capital and people who live on the margins of society. Many older individuals, especially women, face societal expectations that limit their physical activity, such as caregiving responsibilities. People lacking material resources often experience marginalization, making it harder to access sports facilities or organized activities.
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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!
| In Pike’s reading, two key stages of aging are described: the third age (blissful retirement) and the fourth age (health issues and withdrawal from society.) Society is often quite tolerant of the third stage, especially in reference to grandparents helping out with young kids, seniors creating thier own communiteis and continuing to contribute to society with their ideas. The fourth stage is, I think, where age discrimination begins to intensify. Once people can no longer care for themselves and have lost their independence, society becomes extremely intolerant. People also begin to associate folks who are at this stage with a lack of progress, especially in not taking time to keep up with societal inclusion. Things like explaining your pronouns or not fitting into a specific gendered norm are deemed too complex for older adults to understand, and instead, all seniors are seen as intolerant.
Age discrimination is casual in conversation, even when it comes to adults needing assistance with their cell phones and other technologies. In more serious situations, it can result in elder abuse and a lack of care in nursing homes. This was exemplified during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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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.
| These are very different ads. The Nike ad focuses on demonstrating elite athletes, throughout turbulent situations over the past few years. The athletes are well known, representing pivotal moments in sport. I recognized several of the clips from having gone viral.
The This Girl Can ad is different. While it only features female-presenting people, these individuals are represented in various sports and with various abilities. The athletes are not elite but are engaging in sports to stay active and have fin. The people in the ad are not perfectly polished, but instead, a realistic representation of how everyday folks live and play sports. The second ad does not show as much gendered representation as the first ad, but it more heavily features people with different ability levels, disabilities, and ages. Age is not a factor in the Nike ad, but it is clearly represented in the This Girl Can ad. In my opinion, both ads are inclusive but inclusive of different elements. I can see myself in the second ad, as it feels relatable and realistic, unlike the Nike ad, which models exclusivity and perfection. |
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.
| The feminisation of ageing refers to the fact that women tend to live longer than men, leading to a higher proportion of older women in the population. This has significant social and economic consequences. Women are more likely to serve as caregivers before requiring care themselves. Older women face financial insecurity due to lower lifetime earnings and wage disparities. Additionally, societal expectations place greater pressure on women to maintain a youthful appearance, reinforcing gendered experiences of aging. While older men may be seen as “distinguished,” aging women often face invisibility or heightened scrutiny. Addressing these disparities is essential to ensuring that older women are not disproportionately disadvantaged.
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Section Three: Module Mini Assignment
Not just in Peterborough, pickleball has become a popular alternative to tennis, badminton, and other racket sports, specifically for older adults. Having played all three sports, I can share that pickleball is a very active sport, but promotes less strenuous movement. You can play individually or as doubles, but not more than two people per team. This appeals to traditional view of aging, where seniors are sometimes discouraged from playing a sport because it is ‘too active’ or ‘too intense’. Pickleball is a bit more low energy and moves slower because of the ball shape and size.
Pickleball is a heavily advertised sport. In media, and anecdotally, people reflect on it being a sport for older adults but with respect for the activity itself. Pickleball provides a space for people to remain active but is often marketed as a way to stay young and mobile instead of just as a way to be healthy and have fun. Regardless, people (including myself!) enjoy this sport. It encourages prioritizing your physical well-being as an older adult, exemplifying the “heroic” model of aging where individuals push against stereotypes of decline by demonstrating strength, skill, and endurance. This model challenges outdated perceptions and reframes later life as a time of possibility rather than limitation.
Pike discusses how some older adults prefer to play sports that promote social connections and relationship building. Pickleball clubs have become a popular tool for this, and can be more accessible than golf (where there can be financial barriers to playing,) or tennis (which is typically not depicted as a sport for older adults.) Pickleball works towards being an empowering sport, but must be careful in advertising and discussions not to alienate older adults who may not fit the stereotypical player; not all participants are newly retired with strong mobility and do not need modifications to the game. Pickleball must keep its inclusivity to continue as a helpful sport trend.
 I think I should first provide some context for my answers in this portion of the course. I have lived in Peterborough my entire life, just up by the hospital. I can walk to the site of the pickleball courts in under ten minutes. I grew up practicing baseball on the pitch that has now been removed to accommodate the courts.
On the flip side, my grandmother is in her late 70s with several health issues, but maintaining her independence is incredibly important to her. This winter, we had to buy a coat for her rated to -30 degrees celsius, because she walks every day, no matter how cold. She, too, lives in Peterborough, in an independent bungalow outside of Royal Gardens retirement home. I bring these two positions to this debate. I watched this play out in real time, and, in full transparency, when I saw the above picture, I was horrified. I know I expressed anger at taking away a space for children to play and replacing it with spaces for seniors (even though much of the population is aging adults). I contributed to the discourse, advocating for older adults to use their time for other things and questioning the true demand for this service. The two sides of this conversation are akin to the two positions I bring to this discourse. Pike explains how some people have a perception that older adults are incapable of participating in sports and should not be included in certain exercises or play competitively. Alternatively, Pike discusses how society expects older adults to reduce the burden they may place on other people as they age by staying active and healthy. Instead of acknowledging that the current societal system is not best suited to accommodate aging adults (I have seen first hand how bare the current plan for aging adults is and the unfortunate state of society in this area.) Ageism influences my opinion in this area, despite understanding the drive that my grandmother has for her independence. It is a challenging issue; older adults who want to use pickleball to stay active should have access to that space. It is not okay for me to put my lens on the specific situation that these people are engaging with. I know my grandmother stays active because she thinks it will reduce the burden she places on my family, sometimes to a fault. In this case, with reinforced stereotypes, aging adults cannot seem to catch a break, either being too active (needing the courts) or not active enough (becoming burdensome). Additional sources:
https://peterboroughcurrents.ca/news/bonnerworth-redevelopment/ |
