Postmodernism Versus Modernism: Rethinking Theoretical Tensions in Social Gerontology

Abstract

The interconnection of social theory to social aspects of aging has grown in recent years. The theoretical movement entitled “structured dependency,” couched in “social class” analysis, has tended to ignore an understanding of aging identity, the body, cultural representations of aging, and positive images of aging, all of which are central features of an emerging postmodern paradigm in gerontological theory. This article argues that the concept of gender can form a useful bridge, a continuity, between structured dependency and postmodernism in theoretical gerontology. Unfortunately, the compartmentalization of these two conceptual approaches has made their links difficult to forge. This article attempts to take a first step in this direction by highlighting the way postmodern ideas can be used to understand a modernist issue—gender in a gerontological context. Also, focusing on the “aging body” as a primary form of analysis generates some novel insights into the importance of both the theoretical understanding and cultural representations of the body.