New Book: Grey matter – representations of old age and ageing

We are thrilled to highlight the newest book from our researchers! Featuring the work of Bodil H. Blix who is a registered nurse and a professor at UiT The Arctic University of Norway and chair of the research group Centre for Care Research North and Gudmund Ågotnes who is a social anthropologist and a professor at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences and chair of the research group Community Work.

This book challenges the notion of old age as something uniform and problematic. It examines how old people are represented, and how these representations shape our understanding of what old age is, and what it could and should be.

Old people are often represented as a grey matter – as one group without nuance or variation. In public debate, research, and politics, older members of populations are measured and described as statistics and cost items, but rarely as individuals with a diversity of life experiences, resources, and desires.

Through theoretical perspectives including social gerontology and social sciences, and with concrete examples from Norwegian society, the authors explore how old age is understood and portrayed, and how we can open up for more diverse views on aging. Old people are not one group. They are queer and non-queer, socially engaged and indifferent, healthy and frail – but above all, they are human beings.

The book invites students, professionals, policymakers, and people of all ages who care about the society we live in to reflect on how we speak about our oldest citizens. The authors aim to inspire readers but also spark new thoughts and conversations about what old age is and can be.

To learn more, find the book here!