The Difficult Age: Exploring Media Representations of Women's Midlife Experiences

Why does the progress of civilisation require social innovations?

Midlife is not a universal notion because the conception of midlife arises from specific historical and social conditions. This can be a challenging time for women; however, the study of Thai women in the middle years has received relatively little attention. This paper reports a study exploring the meaning of midlife to Thai women currently residing in Bangkok. The integration of Heideggerian phenomenology and feminist theory guided data collection. Experiential understanding of midlife phenomena was obtained through interviewing 32 Thai women with diverse educational and socioeconomic backgrounds. Each description was analysed to identify themes pertinent to the individual midlife experience. Emergent themes were extracted from the similarities and differences across descriptions to depict the broad points of view of women's midlife experiences. Five collective themes were identified: being stereotyped, transforming, being vulnerable to poor health, adapting, and thinking ahead. The findings reflected the fact that these women's midlife experiences were the product of the interrelationship of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors. Awareness of these interrelationships in mind could enrich understanding of midlife experience in women, guide family members and friends in supporting midlife women, including helping to uphold their dignity, and raise the consciousness of health planners and health care professionals for developing effective programmes and interventions to promote wellness for Thai midlife women. The findings could help nurses to build their practice on a significant philosophical foundation and increase their sensitivity with regard to holistic care for midlife women.

Using a narrative, social constructivist perspective, qualitative findings from a research project on women's midlife experience are reported and the culturally dominant discourse of a woman's midlife experience is discussed. The research indicates that the self-narratives of women who are satisfied with their lives at midlife deviate significantly from the culturally dominant narrative of midlife. The alternative, more individuated self-narratives of five women who reported the highest degree of midlife satisfaction for seventeen major areas of their lives are presented. A clinical case is then discussed which examines therapy with a midlife client which was guided, in part, by the research findings.

This qualitative study describes midlife spiritual practices of 2 groups of minority women, 1 lesbian/bisexual group and 1 Black group. Each group attended 3 focus group meetings in New York City. Grounded theory was used for data analysis. Implications for counselors working with middle-aged women were discussed. ********** Existing literature on women's midlife development reflects substantial shifts in psychosocial paradigms. Three shifts are explored in this introduction: increased human life expectancy, emergence of gender-specific research, and focus on spirituality. In context of new paradigms for understanding women's midlife development, I then describe my prior research (Howell, 2001; Howell & Beth, 2002), which was used as baseline for current research. INCREASED LIFE EXPECTANCY OF HUMANS A rapidly changing figure, life expectancy now exceeds 80 years. Midlife has, therefore, become gateway to old age. As result, various definitions of midlife exist. Mansfield, Theisen, and Boyer (1992) used parameters of 35 and 55. Lacy (1986) and Levinson (1978, 1996) defined midlife as ages 40 to 60, and Borysenko (1996) used ages 42 to 62 to define midlife. In contrast, some researchers did not tie midlife to age at all. Rubin (1979) and England and Finch (1991), for instance, said that midlife began when women's children left home. Most recently, I (Howell, 2001) interviewed women from ages 35 to 60 and found that participants who were below age of 40 did not identify with what was being shared by older members of focus groups. In addition, members of groups strongly believed that midlife starred as late as 45 or 50 for most women. They did not argue with upper limit of 60. As life expectancy increased, attitudes about midlife occurrences such as menopause also changed. Sheehy's (1991) seminal book called menopause silent passage. With tone of dread and frustration, one section was titled, the need to know and fear of knowing. Another was titled the perimenopause panic. In contrast, 10 years later Northrup (2001) reflected more positive attitudes in her book, The Wisdom of Menopause: Creating Physical and Emotional Healing During Change. Likewise, Voda (1997) challenged popular conceptualization of menopause as disease requiring treatment, conceptualizing it instead as normal transition. The paradigm of women's midlife experience has shifted from senescence (de Beauvoir, 1989; Sheehy, 1991) to one of vitality; enthusiasm, and wisdom (Borysenko, 1996; Northrup, 2001; Voda, 1997). GENDER-SPECIFIC RESEARCH As result of work of Miller (1976) and Gilligan (1982), theorists challenged popular practice of applying classic androgynous psychological theories such as Erikson's (1978) to both men and women. Subsequently, two theorists (Borysenko, 1996; Levinson, 1996) created comprehensive developmental models for women. Other theorists (Doress & Siegal, 1987; Love, 1998; Northrup, 2001; Rubin, 1979; Sheehy, 1991; Voda, 1997) conducted research that focused on uniquely female experiences. SPIRITUALITY The third major shift in psychosocial paradigm for understanding midlife involved spirituality; Jungian practitioners Brewi and Brennan (1999) described psychological challenge of midlife as a call back to wholeness (p. 11). They described classical Jungian process of exploring shadow, or to contact and integrate neglected aspects of personal unconscious (p. 59). Another Jungian, Hollis (1996), described midlife process as one of re-imagin[ing] ourselves in order to live in present (p. 142). In final chapter of their book, Brewi and Brennan discussed importance of religion in process of exploring unconscious. Hollis said that, during midlife, he drew from Bible and the wisdom of great writers (p. 136). …

Sexual orientation is an integral part of identity affecting every stage of an individual's development. This literature review examines women's cultural experiences based on sexual orientation and their effect on midlife experience. A developmental model is offered that incorporates sexual orientation as a contextual factor in this developmental stage. ********** The 2000 census revealed that, out of a total population of more than 281.4 million people, 96 million were middle-aged adults between the ages of 35 and 60. Of this number, more than 49 million were (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001). Adults entering their middle years experience a number of developmental transitions in common, such as retirement, children leaving home, losing a partner (through divorce or death), serious personal illness, and the possibility of caring for aging relatives (Astbury-Ward, 2003; Ballard, Kuh, & Wadsworth, 2001; Schlossberg, Waters, & Goodman, 1995). Although both men and face the prospect of changing roles at this developmental stage of life, middle-aged may have more difficulty transitioning from who they have been to who they are becoming. Mothers become grandmothers, wives become widows, and, often, who have spent the majority of their adult lives as caretakers and homemakers find themselves entering the workforce, either for the first time or after a considerable absence. Socially, they are subjected to the negative expectations, assumptions, and biases imposed upon women by modern Western society (Astbury-Ward, 2003; Ballard et al., 2001; Degges-White, 2001; Shore, 1999), which may create additional social and emotional conflict for some as they approach their middle years. Sexual orientation, too, plays a part in how a woman processes her midlife experiences, because her sexual expression and conformity or nonconformity to traditional gender roles affect how she is seen and, therefore, how she sees herself in society throughout her life (Grossman, 1997). According to estimates by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute, approximately 3% to 8% of the U.S. population identifies as lesbian or gay (Cahill, South, & Spade, 2000). Using that figure as a guideline, and based on the current population of middle-aged cited earlier, there are between 1.47 and 3.92 million middle-aged lesbian living in the United States today. Despite the significance of their numbers, the current literature on the midlife and aging of lesbians devotes little effort to understanding the unique needs and concerns of this population (Orel, 2004). This article presents a literature review that explores the context in which both heterosexual and lesbian experience some of the changes intrinsic to midlife as a developmental stage and how those changes are affected by sexual orientation. A developmental model is presented that counselors may use in conjunction with a variety of theoretical orientations to address each woman's personal experience of this developmental transition from her unique perspective, using sexual orientation as but one aspect of a multifaceted, multicultural identity. Implications for therapeutic use of the model are also discussed. SOCIAL CONSTRUCTS OF AGING AND MENOPAUSE A number of researchers have posited that women's experience of menopause and midlife is culturally constructed (Astbury-Ward, 2003; Degges-White, 2001; Gabbay & Wahler, 2002; Shore, 1999; Winterich, 2003) and that whether they view midlife changes as positive, negative, or neutral may be culturally determined (Astbury-Ward, 2003). Degges-White suggested that, in fact, in the United States often anticipate a negative experience of menopause, and of midlife in general, because they are preprogrammed by the societal stigma attached to older women. Women are under more pressure than men to maintain a youthful appearance (Astbury-Ward, 2003) and are perceived as older sooner than men (Ballard et al. …

This was one in a series of studies whose goal was creation of a rich, deep description of women's midlife psychological development. All studies in the series used qualitative approaches of unstructured focus groups followed by grounded-theory data analysis. The participants were a culturally and ethnically mixed group of 11 women between ages 40 and 60 who met in Manhattan and discussed their lives, feelings, behaviors, and perspectives during this important period. Data analysis led to a three-part developmental model describing women's midlife experiences. Data from this group of participants offered particularly rich descriptions of how they reacted to social stereo-types about midlife.

Despite the growth of biomedical and feminist research on menopause, we still lack a comprehensive definition of what reproductive aging is, when it begins, how long it lasts, and how women experience different menopausal stages. Likewise, while aging scholars have made strides in understanding age identities and the meanings attributable to various chronological ages, we lack an understanding of how chronological age figures into individuals' experiences, medical treatment, and academic research. The gaps in knowledge about chronological age are particularly glaring in regard to women's experiences. In this article I use data from 61 in-depth interviews with menopausal women to explore the ways in which chronological age appears in their discussions of menopause experiences and their interactions with doctors about this reproductive transition. I also describe how chronological age shaped recruitment efforts for my own study. I conclude that, despite unclear information about the age and time boundaries of reproductive aging, we still use chronological age as a way to diagnose and operationalize women's experiences at midlife. I argue that reliance on chronological age hinders understandings of menopause, women's midlife, and women's overall well being. Even though feminist research exists on the topics of menopause and aging already, feminist scholars need to work toward broader conceptualizations of menopause, women's midlife experiences, and aging processes and challenge existing definitions of menopause more directly.

Age of despair or age of hope? Elderly Palestinian women's perspectives on health in midlife

This study focused on the lived experience of Thai women and their changing bodies in midlife. The methodology chosen was a phenomenological approach. Eighteen women aged 46-55 years, who lived in the southern Thailand and identified themselves as experiencing physiological changes, participated in the study. Five themes became apparent during the analysis of the women's stories: changing in midlife, sensing normal phenomena, searching for explanation, sense of loss, and self-managing. This study reveals that Thai women's traditional ties to Buddhism play a major role in their acceptance of midlife as part of the life cycle; an event that is best managed with support from other women. Health professionals should reconsider their understanding of women's midlife experiences in order to provide effective healthcare support to Thai women.

The new urban question has been convoyed by the abrupt inequity of income distribution; environmental disasters; demographic shrinkage; inner asymmetries in urban communities; rising of informal markets; and city voids. Brownfields, abandoned buildings and vacant lands are unresolved environmental and social problems in many European cities. These ruins are the physical manifestation of our postindustrial landscape. Urban deprived areas demand urgent adaptive game plans. How can these gaps become instruments of wellness whilst open to regenerative/restorative social innovations? DOT TO DOT© www.dots.scot is a cross-disciplinary ecosystem that enables intergenerational groups from creative local community - social entrepreneurs, researchers, educators and youth- to fill and reuse ecologically empty sites on a temporary basis and to improve life of disadvantaged communities by remaking with waste through regenerative designs and live projects. It is both a real and digital live community project. DOT TO DOT© is a social innovation project funded by EU ESF Aspiring Communities programme in Glasgow, Scotland (2017-2018). It addresses up-to-date urban regeneration and health issues from local perspectives providing a vivid community-led development approach. It proposes a new conceptual framework for considering the driving and interconnected factors to tackle health and wellbeing in selected deprived areas. Its sensory dimension is an experimental site - community touchpoint- which is planned in three distinctive areas: (a) the Community Garden, an edible garden (phase 1); (b) the Remake Station (phase 2) and (c) the sensory woodland. The DOT TO DOT© methodology employs somatic learning tools; research by doing; experimentation by reusing; and collaborative design modelling methods, integrating various sources and types of data including spatial, visual, quantitative and qualitative data. It includes sensory, physical and digital engagements with urban communities in the process of creating and transferring knowledge. Furthermore, it aims at generating knowledge exchange and providing live demonstrations that is relevant to the local community development for improving integrated decision making and bottom-up governance for healthy and wellbeing outdoor environments.

A diverse sample of 224 women, aged 35 to 65, participated in a study to examine the relations among transitions, life satisfaction, and wellness. The Women’s Midlife Transitions Survey, developed for this study, provided information on the timeliness, expectedness, and impact of common midlife transitions. Implications for mental health counselors include the need to help midlife women understand and cope with a variety of common life changes that individually and collectively help to define their midlife experience.

This paper presents a brief review of historical developments in women's health care. It describes the current campaign against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and assesses the campaign's success in light of its history and the reality of women's lives. The authors suggest that women are forced into a double-bind in which they are expected to take responsibility for the prevention of STDs although they may not have the ability to do so. Modifications are suggested which take into account gender-role socialization and social group norms.

Management of frailty in the community setting

The research hypothesis of the thesis is that “an open participation in the co-creation of the services and environments, makes life easier for vulnerable groups”; assuming that the participatory and emancipatory approaches are processes of possible actions and changes aimed at facilitating people’s lives. The adoption of these approaches is put forward as the common denominator of social innovative practices that supporting inclusive processes allow a shift from a medical model to a civil and human rights approach to disability. The theoretical basis of this assumption finds support in many principles of Inclusive Education and the main focus of the hypothesis of research is on participation and emancipation as approaches aimed at facing emerging and existing problems related to inclusion. The framework of reference for the research is represented by the perspectives adopted by several international documents concerning policies and interventions to promote and support the leadership and participation of vulnerable groups. In the first part an in-depth analysis of the main academic publications on the central themes of the thesis has been carried out. After investigating the framework of reference, the analysis focuses on the main tools of participatory and emancipatory approaches, which are able to connect with the concepts of active citizenship and social innovation. In the second part two case studies concerning participatory and emancipatory approaches in the areas of concern are presented and analyzed as example of the improvement of inclusion, through the involvement and participation of persons with disability. The research has been developed using a holistic and interdisciplinary approach, aimed at providing a knowledge-base that fosters a shift from a situation of passivity and care towards a new scenario based on the person’s commitment in the elaboration of his/her own project of life.

In the last decade, a new concept has emerged in Europe and the Americas to explain a ‘new’ phenomenon of societal and technological organization oriented to the resolution of social and environmental issues: social innovation. In certain contexts, social innovators confront dominant institutions in order to achieve their political, economic, and cultural goals. This confrontation has a transformative character. In this sense, transformative social innovation may be defined as ‘changes in social relations, involving new ways of doing, organizing, framing and/or knowing, which challenge, alter, and/or replace established (dominant) institutions in a specific socio-material context.’ This framework, developed as a result of the Transformative Social Innovation Theory Project, refers to the ability to design and implement new forms of social interaction that enable people and social groups to carry out strategies and deploy narratives that lead, under certain conditions, to transformative change that engenders modifications in social and/or environmental dynamics. This article presents a conceptual framework to understand transformative social innovation, which is then used to analyze the case of the La Via Campesina (the International Peasant Movement), focusing on: 1) the strategies employed in terms of a social innovation agent, and 2) the construction of narratives of change oriented to empower peasants and generate a collective identity of the peasantry at a global level. Finally, the article presents closing remarks in order to conceptualize the social innovation capabilities of certain global movements (such as La Via Campesina) and their achievements related to inclusive sustainable development, where food production and distribution, as well as territorial development, are fundamental.