1,721,138 research outputs found
Invisible women : critical perspectives on social work and gender in later life
Full text linkThis chapter examines the literature on gender and ageing through the lens of critical feminist gerontology. This draws on multidimensional concepts comprising power, economic, social, and symbolic relations operating simultaneously at intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, and societal levels. Applying an intersectional lens and feminist perspective to social work practice with women in later life requires us to move beyond gender as one way of explaining differences towards ensuring advocacy and empowerment to address inequalities and shape supportive social work interactions. This should provide a nuanced understanding of the specific challenges faced by women in later life and help social workers improve support through purposive gender responsive and age sensitive practice
Heterosexual sex, love and intimacy in later life : what have older women got to say?
No full textThe current epistemology of heterosexuality, love and intimacy in later life has highlighted how older women’s sexual desire and sexual expression has been subject to highly gendered socio-cultural restrictions, an emphasis on relationship status and problematisation of physical health. These are associated with dissatisfaction and discomfort for older heterosexual women when talking about their own sexuality with a lack of social legitimacy for doing so. Poor engagement of care professionals with their issues and concerns makes the situation more complex (Hafford-Letchfield, 2008; Gertwitz et al, 2018) for example the unproblematic acceptance of the consequences and compromise in sexual function that may be constructed when an older woman has pelvic floor weaknesses including incontinences (Mota, 2017). This chapter reviews some themes on heterosexual desire and sexual expression in later life within the context of socio-cultural and health-related factors. I draw on several sources. First, selected theoretical concepts on heterosexuality and terms of how these speak to the sexual identities of women in later life, or indeed, throughout the life course. Second, I review further, some relevant themes from a systematic review I was involved in (Gerwitz et al, 2018) of international empirical research about sexuality and ageing. This review included subjective views of older heterosexual women on their sexuality. Third, heterosexual sex, love and intimacy in later life are illustrated through the case study of women ageing solo, where relationship status has been a key factor in mediating desire and expressions of intimacy in later life (Hafford-Letchfield et al, 2017; Lambert et al, 2018; O’Reilly et al, 2019). These sources will enable focus on factors which differentiate between expression of sexual desire and subsequent pursuance of sexual relationships in later life. I will consider how gender norms and performativity pertinent to existing heterosexual women’s sexuality are impacted by external and internalised stigma that accompanies ageing and/or are made complex in situations where health is affected. These key themes are examined from a standpoint which highlights discrimination and oppression by placing the voices of heterosexual older women at the centre of a relational analysis of sexuality. This is in opposition to those ageist social practices which pose barriers to older people, especially older women, being able to speak about and make the best decisions concerning their sexual and intimate lives and access more appropriate responses in support (Hafford-Letchfield, 2008; Lee and Tetley, 2017)
The role of professionals and service providers in supporting sexuality and intimacy in later life : theoretical and practice perspectives
Full text linkThe transformation of intimacy and sexuality issues within historically and culturally dependent institutions is challenging established views about ageing (Bildtgard and Oberg, 2017). Health and social care are one such institution yet to respond fully, to the growing empirical evidence on what contributes a meaningful life for older people interacting with care services in relation to sexuality and intimacies across different sexual and gender identities. Transcending established views about the role of health and social care professionals in providing meaningful engagement and support for older people to fulfil their sexual needs, requires providers to recognise opportunities for responding to the complexity of issues arising in care. Being open to the range of peoples’ relationship situations; making spaces within assessment and provision of care to enable information and support on sex and intimacy to be made available and to engage proactively with the topic is beginning to be recognised within workforce development (SfC, 2017). Building on these involve developing new structures and methods of embedding sexuality within professional education, in policies and care practices and in the commissioning of, and evaluation of services (Hafford-Letchfield et al, 2009; 2020). This chapter engages with the literature focusing on what we know or need to know about how professionals and providers within health and social care exchange and interact around sex as a meaningful concept in the provision and quality of care. It focuses on themes that are important to initiating and supporting sexual expression in later life and addresses important transition points where older people are considered ‘vulnerable’ in care services and where their sexual rights are less likely to be promoted or transgressed. As we saw in Chapter 9, issues may occur in residential care, for people with cognitive decline and in this chapter we expand further on issues that may emerge at the end of life. Building further on Villa and Fabà’s contribution in this volume, I highlight some of the underlying theoretical concepts that forge pathways to improved practice and point to areas in which there are good practice guidance from the current evidence available
What is being done to support trans older people facing intimate and domestic abuse?
Full text linkThe stigma, discrimination and violence faced by trans people globally is pervasive and well-documented (Arayasirikul et al, 2022). Whilst there is growing appreciation of intimate partner violence (IPV) and domestic abuse (DA) in relationships for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual (LGB) populations, trans people are a group of ‘hidden victims’ due to very little literature on their experiences (Gelles, 1997, p96). The dearth of empirical work and invisibility of trans people when exploring intimate and familial relationships and the environments in which it takes place, sits within the broader picture of LGB people being at an elevated risk of IPV (Langenderfer-Magruder et al., 2016: Valentine et al., 2017). This chapter considers what is known about DA and IPV perpetrated against trans people in later life alongside any literature on adult safeguarding that might overlap in presentation (Cook-Daniels, 2010). This lack of visibility of older people who are gender diverse, the failure to ask or record gender identity when people are accessing or using support services and/or the fear of sharing information by trans and non-binary individuals with professionals and service providers, are all contributing factors in the failure in being able to screen, recognise and assess IPV and DA. This chapter is written from our experience of working in the UK as a trans historied woman and cis woman, one of whom has extensive practice expertise in DA and the other in researching LGBTQ+ later life experience of health and social care. We draw on the sparse but important body of work on trans DA along some of the broader literature on identity abuse. This is used to articulate what can be learned to support trans people better in later life who have, or may be experiencing DA. We first consider what is known about the broader issues of violence against trans people before going on to highlight the types of violence experienced by trans individuals and the settings in which DA and IPV occur. We highlight the epistemological, political, and social context for trans DA and look at barriers and challenges in identifying, reporting, and responding to DA for trans people in later life given the lack of research and practice guidance in health and social care. We then illustrate the barriers they may face in help-seeking and summarise the key points for informing improved practice in both prevention and interventions with older trans people with pointers for further research
Conclusion: Looking ahead for enabling trans-inclusive and affirming practice
Full text linkThis final chapter revisits the ‘big takeaway messages’ for health, community and social care practitioners that are woven across the book and identifies future directions in research for supporting trans people in later life and developing trans-inclusive research and practice. In relation to improving care experiences across health and social care systems, a resounding message is the importance of developing and delivering a person-centred, person-led approach to care that is collaborative and centred on the wishes and preferences of older trans people as the experts on their lives. The chapter concludes by setting out key dimensions for enabling trans-inclusive and affirming practice and services
Sex and intimacy in later life : a survey of the terrain
Full text linkShakespeare's Sonnet 73 suggests a recognition of finality, mortality and the changes that ageing brings, with a plea for love (and respect?) from those who are younger, through the certain knowledge that they will miss those who are ageing when they pass, and will experience ageing and its vicissitudes themselves. This is ageing as natural cycle and self-aware progression through the life course. It appeals to naturalized and normalized contours of the process of ageing, which are 'coloured in' by cultural representations of how we are seen to age. Older people should 'grow old gracefully', both experience and express that 'slow journey into the twilight of their lives'
Final reflections : themes on sex and intimacy in later life
Full text linkThis volume was curated to launch the book series Sex and Intimacy in Later Life and aims to provide a coherent, critical overview of scholarship focused on the identitarian and intersectional experience of the age, sex and sexuality. As identified in the chapter introducing this collection, it forms part of a broader intellectual project that aims to put sex back into sexuality. With such considerations in mind, we wanted to produce a text that demonstrates that this emerging field of knowledge (covering a relatively neglected set of cross-cutting concerns) contains some vibrant scholarship and is starting to set an agenda for research. Our hope is that such an agenda can be articulated into policy and practice that, in time, could help validate, support and enrich the sexual and intimate lives of older people
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Final reflections: Themes and issues arising from the volume
No full textNot in the family : trans people’s experiences of family relationships and the implications for support in later life
Full text linkThis chapter looks more closely at the challenges and opportunities that trans people face when accessing family and social support in later life. Social support is often cited as an important factor contributing to subjective well-being as one gets older (Diener and Seligman, 2002) and earlier chapters have already discussed some of the cumulative life experiences for trans people, which may impact on access to health and social care services they may use to support themselves in later life. In some global regions, there is a general presumption that an ageing population will give rise to an increased need for health and social care services. This is a complex picture (The Health Foundation, 2021) and the demand for care will also be influenced by the availability of unpaid and informal care provided by family and friends. The picture for trans people in later life however may be more complex in terms of who is best placed to support them and the choices they have available. In chapter 7, Callahan and colleagues articulated some of the pro-active choices and responses to care barriers experienced when engaging with services that have historically not welcomed them. In chapter 4, Toze highlighted the health and social care network alternatives created by and for trans people, but which are often small and fragile and vulnerable to macro-economic and political influences. To be able to plan future service delivery effectively, policymakers will need to understand how any changes in population structure will impact overall demand; other authors in this book have discussed some of the barriers and necessary changes required to achieve this in relation to the ageing trans population. A social constructionist approach can also help us to critically examine discourses present within the wider cultural environment about ageing, families, and caring and to challenge normative understandings about what a family is, to appreciate what might be different, similar, or unique for older trans people. This chapter draws on some of the themes from the authors’ findings in relation to a systematic review on the international literature on what is known about trans parenting (Hafford-Letchfield et al, 2019). This review established that there were very limited findings on grandparenting and parenting later in the lifecourse, as well as where a parent is trans, how the dynamics of family life impacted on their subsequent lifecourse experiences. We summarise the relative themes from this body of literature to examine the potential implications for accessing and developing support in later life particularly where individual parenting rights have been transgressed and subsequent inequalities interact with planning for future care. We then draw on some unreported empirical data from a subsequent UK study of professional perspectives on trans parenting (Hafford-Letchfield et al, 2021). This includes contributions from one trans participant who shared their reflections on their own family life and growing older, and one medical professional working with a trans older person referred to a Gender Identity Clinic. Combined with other literature sources, we aim to summarise key messages for professional practice with trans people in later life in response to these findings
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