Aging masculinities in Austria: Social realities and cultural representations

Abstract

Combining theoretical perspectives and analytical methods from the social sciences and literary studies, this interdisciplinary paper discusses key findings of online focus groups conducted with Austrian men aged 65+ as well as ‘media logbooks’ they kept. Within the frameworks of the EU Gender-Net Project MascAge (Analyzing Social Constructions of Aging Masculinities and their Cultural Representations in Contemporary European Literatures and Cinemas), older men of diverse backgrounds met online to reflect on their aging and its intersections with gender. Analyzing these conversations, the paper showcases older men's personal experiences of aging as well as their societal implications. We put forward the hypothesis that the understanding of aging, and aging masculinities in particular, of Austrian men 65+ primarily revolves around the idea of power. Most importantly, they conceive of the aging process as a ‘power game’ in which one frequently loses, ideally maintains, and – in exceptional cases only – gains power. The paper outlines how both personal experiences and engagement with media representations of aging relate to cultural ideals of old men as figures of authority. In doing so, the paper critically examines these stereotypical notions of aging masculinities as well as older men's potential to subvert them through a narrative process.