“That is when you realize your age”—A spatial approach to age(ing)

Abstract

Age is a conceptual challenge for geographical research due to its twofold character as a marker of difference (age) and a dynamic process (ageing). The fluidity of the ageing process makes it difficult to employ age as an analytic variable for empirical research, perhaps even more so than for other social categories such as gender, ethnicity, social status, or sexual orientation. Drawing on qualitative research with 18 expert interviews and 4 focus group discussions with older people (n = 26) from diverse backgrounds in Berlin (Germany), this paper argues for a spatial perspective to grasp the individual, continuous process of ageing. Based on the spatial settings of (1) places of recreation, (2) places of work, and (3) home as examples, our empirical findings reveal how older people become aware of their own ageing through specific places and how the process of ageing is perceived in relation to both people of other age groups and one's personal lived lifetime. The intersectional approach of our research thus demonstrates how social diversity shapes the experience of later life. The paper concludes by proposing three ways how a spatial perspective on the ageing process can advance debates within geographies of ageing.