Feminist Gerontology and the Life Course

Abstract

Feminist gerontology is grounded in feminist theory and critical gerontology and focuses on power relations and intersecting oppressions across the life course. Analyses that incorporate a feminist perspective broaden our understanding of aging, moving beyond a singular focus on gender to a broader focus on multiple aspects of diversity, including privilege, inequality, and interdependence. In this article, we identify and discuss the central tenets of a feminist gerontological perspective, focusing on the lives of aging women in terms of research and policy issues regarding caregiving, work, and retirement. We suggest alternative and expanded research and teaching methods that counter feminist blind spots on age, as well as gerontology's blind spots where older women are concerned.

Key Words:

• Critical gerontology
• social justice
• older women