Overview

This book is a rich exploration of the baby boomers - those coming of age in the sixties and now entering old age - the influences that have shaped how they perceive ageing appearance, how they define ageing and beauty, and the meaning of appearance, beauty, and identity. The book draws from a variety of sources from ageing research, history and gender studies and a diverse group of interviewees. The longevity revolution and shifting notions of identity coalesce as older women and men seek to find new modes of self-presentation as they age. Ageing is a profoundly embodied process, yet older people's concerns about appearance and beauty is perceived, by many, as trivial or a function of consumer society. Investigating notions of appearance and beauty as a core human concern, the author explores Western cultural notions of beauty. What then is beauty in old age? Is it even a possibility given the history of youth and aesthetic preference? The book seeks to bring forward ideas of age and beauty as defined by baby boomers, how they see themselves and how they are seen.

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9781787542365

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Woodspring, a visiting research fellow at University of the West of England, presents her findings after interviewing baby boomers from both the US and UK about aging, beauty, and society's expectations of older adults. Interview excerpts, along with current research on issues like attractiveness, sexuality, and longevity are included. The material is divided into particular topics such as men's take on appearance, women and appearance, mortality, and passion. Of particular note is the chapter discussing how the rest of us see older people, especially women. What assumptions do we make? How are the elderly portrayed in our art and entertainment? -- Annotation (c)2018 * (protoview.com) *

Woodspring, a visiting research fellow at University of the West of England, presents her findings after interviewing baby boomers from both the US and UK about aging, beauty, and society's expectations of older adults. Interview excerpts, along with current research on issues like attractiveness, sexuality, and longevity are included. The material is divided into particular topics such as men's take on appearance, women and appearance, mortality, and passion. Of particular note is the chapter discussing how the rest of us see older people, especially women. What assumptions do we make? How are the elderly portrayed in our art and entertainment?--Annotation (c)2018 (protoview.com)

Author Information

Dr Naomi Woodspring is a Visiting Research Fellow, University of the West of England, UK. Prior to returning to university as a late life learner, she had her own consulting firm working with non-profit agencies and for-profit businesses seeking sustainable solutions to organisational and community challenges. She has also worked as a psychotherapist in a wide variety of settings from a managing a community prison project to Native American communities.

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