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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.
| Ageing Habitus:
The concept of aging habitus depicts how people absorb the cultural standards and personal experiences associated with growing older which then impacts their physical movement and behavior in spaces like sport. Older adults’ physical activities and self-perception in sports environments are influenced by aging habitus which affects their perception of abilities and adaptation mechanisms to bodily changes. Aging habitus determines if older adults keep participating in sport as well as their self-perception as aging athletes alongside how others interact with them. The aging habitus concept explains why certain older adults stay engaged and self-assured in sports while some retreat because they have internalized ageist beliefs or feel excluded from athletic activities.
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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.
 (Centre for Ageing Better, 2021)
Modern media frequently depicts seniors partaking in active and happy endeavors like group exercises and social gatherings. These depictions work to overturn conventional aging stereotypes by demonstrating social engagement and vitality in elderly populations. This image demonstrates a growing societal view that regards aging as a time of sustained activity and fulfillment. The portrayal of older adults leading fulfilling lives demonstrates that aging does not mean passivity or decline but continued vibrancy and connection. A group of older adults can be seen taking part in an energetic group social session designed to enhance social interaction. The image demonstrates how society now embraces active aging by showing older adults leading active lifestyles, which disprove the stereotype that aging equals decline or detachment. This perspective emphasizes how important it is to maintain connectivity and mobility while experiencing happiness during later life stages. This representation supports the Centre for Ageing Better’s mission to present realistic and diverse aging models which work against ageist perceptions and demonstrate older adults as capable and engaged members of society (Centre for Ageing Better, 2021). Reference: Centre for Ageing Better. (2021). Age-positive image library launched. https://ageing-better.org.uk/news/age-positive-image-library-launched |
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 dual function of sports in the lives of aging adults emerges from their ability to both resist aging through physical activity and accept aging by adapting to their changing capabilities. Through sports participation older adults can defy common aging stereotypes because they preserve their physical health and competitive nature while showing continued energy and drive. Athletic participation helps people accept aging by promoting adaptive behaviors to age-related changes and establishing a realistic view of their changing abilities. Senior athletes defy age-related negative stereotypes by persisting in their training and competition against the idea that aging brings physical decline. As they grow older athletes accept their natural limitations by changing their training schedules and defining new achievable performance goals that match their abilities. Their balanced approach allows them to accept aging while avoiding its typical constraints.
Research demonstrates this dynamic by showing how elderly participants in sport use physical activity to “keep moving” and “make the most of your life… with the capabilities that you still have,” which illustrates their dual approach of fighting against decline while accepting aging realities (Dionigi, 2021). These images demonstrate the way sports enable elderly individuals to both fight aging effects and embrace their current physical state:
This track and field competition among senior athletes disproves the belief that aging brings physical deterioration by demonstrating older participants can stay competitive and active (Charles Sturt University, 2021). 2. Accepting the Aging Process:
This image illustrates older adults in a group exercise class who maintain an active lifestyle by participating in activities specifically adapted to their physical capabilities (Outside Online, 2021). The given examples demonstrate how sport provides older adults with an opportunity to confront and accept the complex elements of aging. References:
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(Charles Sturt University, 2021)
(Outside Online, 2021)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)
| Elizabeth Pike’s research shows that numerous groups face limited access to sports opportunities especially among marginalized communities. The groups who face limited sports participation opportunities consist of individuals with disabilities and populations from lower-income backgrounds and certain racial and ethnic communities. Age-related stereotypes coupled with insufficient facilities and programming often restrict older adults’ participation opportunities in sports. The ability to participate in sports throughout one’s life is largely influenced by privilege. People with greater financial means tend to purchase memberships to gyms and sports clubs or access recreational facilities. People from privileged backgrounds tend to hold higher social capital and cultural recognition, which helps support their ongoing involvement in sports during their later years. People who lack privileges encounter obstacles like restricted access and financial burdens, along with social customs that push them away from sports participation. Social inequalities intersect with aging and sports where privilege shapes the opportunities and obstacles older adults encounter to maintain physical activity.
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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!
| Age discrimination receives the most reports among all prejudices because aging opposes societal ideals of youthfulness along with productivity and independence which are fundamental values in many cultures. Society tends to view aging individuals as experiencing decline instead of recognizing their accumulated experience and wisdom. The negative portrayal of aging results in older individuals being perceived as less competent or useful while being considered burdensome particularly in employment, healthcare, and social services.
Societies across different cultures value young people because they embody innovation and economic productivity along with high energy levels. The aging process connects to dependency needs along with physical weakness and the end of one’s work life. The expanding older adult population generates increasing concern about their potential to strain healthcare and pension systems. The fear of aging creates a perception of older adults as both needy individuals and a group that jeopardizes social resources and efficiency. Stereotypes that depict aging as a negative experience continue to strengthen these negative attitudes. The fear of getting old impacts social perceptions of older individuals while simultaneously restricting their life opportunities. Ageism results in older people being excluded from professional environments while they remain unrepresented in media and restricted from physical activities which promote their health. The phenomenon of ageism reveals an underlying cultural unease with the process of aging. Changing the narrative to depict aging as a natural and valuable life stage characterized by strength and continued societal contribution would help diminish this entrenched form of discrimination. |
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.
| While both the Nike – You Can’t Stop Us (2020) ad and the This Girl Can – Me Again ad promote physical activity and resilience they showcase these themes in distinct ways regarding inclusivity and age representation.
The Nike advertisement showcases elite athletic performance alongside strength and unity. High-performance athletes appear alongside powerful visuals that demonstrate perseverance regardless of gender, race or ability in this campaign. The advertisement displays visual beauty alongside racial diversity and gender identity inclusion but primarily focuses on younger athletes who achieve high performance. The advertisement excludes older people from its visual narrative while strengthening the cultural link between athletic performance and youth. However, the campaign “This Girl Can – Me Again” presents a broader representation of ordinary women who participate in physical activities. The advertisement showcases diverse body types while representing multiple ages and ethnicities across different ability levels. The advertisement shows older women actively participating in joyful movement experiences such as swimming, dancing, and home workouts. The advertisement removes the stereotype that athletics are exclusive to young people or those with athletic builds by demonstrating sport as a welcoming environment for everyone. Therefore, in my opinion, “This Girl Can” campaign demonstrates better inclusivity through its representation of older women. The campaign presents physical activity as a welcoming space for people of all ages by portraying age as a natural component of participant diversity rather than a limitation. By promoting inclusivity this approach confronts ageist stereotypes and demonstrates that physical activity belongs to individuals of all ages and body types. |
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 agree with Elizabeth Pike’s viewpoint that certain aspects of aging have become feminized. The demographic trend identified by this term shows women live longer than men which leads to a greater number of older women in the population. Aging’s feminization extends beyond biology and statistics to influence cultural and social dynamics. The aging demographic is predominantly composed of older women which leads society to construct aging narratives based on gendered expectations. Stereotypes portray older women as weak and dependent while they experience more poverty and social isolation than their male peers. Media representations tend to either completely erase older women from visibility or confine them to conventional roles such as grandmothers and caregivers instead of depicting them as independent and active individuals.
The trend toward feminization becomes apparent in the realm of sports and physical activities. Long-standing societal gender norms may discourage older women from sports participation because they label physical exertion as “unfeminine,” particularly during later stages of life. Through participation in sports and fitness activities older women actively defy societal assumptions that link age and gender with physical inactivity. My experience with fastpitch teams demonstrates that women over 50 defy stereotypes through competitive sports participation while maintaining strength and social connections. The process of aging has been gendered towards women which leads to particular disadvantages for older women yet simultaneously creates distinct chances for them to push back against traditional aging roles. |
Section Three: Module Mini Assignment
| Pickleball has quickly become a leading sport trend among senior citizens. The growing popularity of pickleball has led to public discussions about ageism and neoliberal aging views represented in media and societal narratives (Pike, 2025). Community debates about the planned redevelopment of Bonnerworth Park in Peterborough, Ontario emerged as one of the focal points around this sport. Leaders in the city announced their plan to spend $4.4 million in 2024 to build 16 illuminated pickleball courts while expanding the skatepark and installing a new bike pump track. The initiative gained support from those who valued the promotion of physical activity and recreation yet faced opposition through concerns about noise disturbance, light pollution effects, and the reduction of green space (Global News, 2024). The public debates about the redevelopment plan did not center on ageism despite the sport’s appeal to older adults because opposition mainly addressed environmental and procedural issues (Global News, 2024).
Issue The growing number of senior participants in pickleball has resulted in varied representations across different media channels. Some narratives recognize the health benefits and accessibility of pickleball for older adults but others unintentionally spread ageist stereotypes. The Bloomberg article named “Why Your Grandma Loves Pickleball” highlights the sport’s popularity among older people which may strengthen the stereotype that pickleball is mainly for seniors (Bloomberg, 2015). On Reddit platforms people discuss how older players face marginalization and underestimation from younger participants which demonstrates age discrimination in the sport community (Reddit, 2024). The debate surrounding pickleball continues to be multifaceted because numerous people acknowledge its benefits for health promotion and active living among senior adults. Ageism and Media Representation The media representation of senior pickleball players fluctuates between positive recognition and understated ageist bias. The depiction of active senior players in pickleball confronts traditional aging stereotypes but referring to the sport as one for ‘old people’ unintentionally excludes older players from the broader community. The Dink (2024) provides a discussion about ageist comments directed at pickleball players and recommends ways to counteract those stereotypes. The media struggle to balance senior engagement with the unintended reinforcement of ageist perceptions showcases the difficulty of creating fair representations. Despite pickleball’s popularity with older residents in Peterborough the backlash to the redevelopment plan appeared to be unrelated to ageist attitudes. The opposition from residents focused on environmental worries such as noise and light pollution along with green space reduction (Global News, 2024) proving that pickleball’s problem here stemmed more from environmental and community concerns than from age discrimination. Neoliberal Perspectives on Aging Narratives about aging and sports now reflect neoliberal values which prioritize personal responsibility and productivity. The portrayal of older adults who play pickleball as role models of “successful aging” reflects neoliberal values that promote self-reliance and active living. Current research demonstrates that pickleball offers seniors significant health advantages by emphasizing their duty to maintain their own health (National Institutes of Health, 2024). Pike (2025) examines how neoliberal ideologies set standards for aging populations by defining “successful aging” through physical activity participation which places individual health responsibility on seniors and ignores systemic health determinants. Although active aging initiatives prove to benefit seniors, they also tend to create pressure for seniors to adopt specific lifestyles while ignoring structural determinants of health and wellness. Therefore, the conversation around pickleball in Peterborough focuses on general community issues but also reveals neoliberal principles by presenting the sport as a way for older individuals to preserve their independence and vitality. In conclusion, the increased popularity of pickleball among older adults highlights active aging positively but requires a deeper analysis of media portrayals and societal narratives. The fight against ageism combined with an awareness of neoliberal ideology’s effects are key steps toward creating welcoming support systems for older athletes. The Bonnerworth Park redevelopment controversy exemplifies the intricate relationship between age demographics and sports within communities while avoiding ageist implications to underscore more general social issues. References: Bloomberg. (2015, October 26). Why your grandma loves pickleball. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-26/why-your-grandma-and-other-seniors-love-pickleball Change.org. (2024). Stop the redevelopment of Peterborough’s Bonnerworth Park. https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-redevelopment-of-peterborough-s-bonnerworth-park Global News. (2024, February 20). ‘What’s all the racket?’: Residents oppose pickleball courts at park in Peterborough, Ont. https://globalnews.ca/news/10402091/whats-all-the-racket-residents-oppose-pickleball-courts-at-park-in-peterborough-ont/ National Institutes of Health. (2024). Health benefits of pickleball for seniors. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9988900/ Peterborough Currents. (2024, February 28). Bonnerworth Park redevelopment gets green light, but concerns remain. https://peterboroughcurrents.ca/sports/bonnerworth-redevelopment/ Pike, E. (2025). Assessing the sociology of sport: On age and ability. Reddit. (2024, February 1). Ageism in pickleball. https://www.reddit.com/r/Pickleball/comments/1fm5mih/ageism_in_pickleball/ The Dink. (2024, March 15). Ageism outside pickleball. https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/ageism-outside-pickleball |
