Abstract
Narrative gerontology considers how people age biographically as well as socially and biologically. Vulnerability as a process category and state of being remains undertheorized in the context of narratives of later life. It is argued that the narrative space for stories from old age privilege backward-looking stories that focus on positive milestones and support cultural narratives of a “life well lived.” Sad, emotionally laden or uncertain/unfinished stories that reveal vulnerabilities are rejected and potentially viewed as problematic. Using an illustrative case example of a study of resilience narratives and aging, this paper considers how the study authors position and identify resilience. Some interpretative judgements used in the research regarding who is resilient based on expressions of vulnerability are highlighted. Overall, the tensions between cultural and personal narratives that position older people as vulnerable subjects are considered and it is argued that vulnerability can be a great source of strength and meaning in later life.
Zusammenfassung
Die narrative Gerontologie untersucht, wie Menschen biografisch, sozial und biologisch altern. Vulnerabilität als Prozesskategorie und Zustand des Seins bleibt im Kontext von Erzählungen über das spätere Leben untertheoretisiert. Wir argumentieren, dass der Erzählraum für Geschichten aus dem Alter rückwärtsgewandte Geschichten privilegiert, die sich auf positive Meilensteine konzentrieren und kulturelle Erzählungen über ein „gut gelebtes Leben“ unterstützen. Traurige, emotionsgeladene oder unsichere/unvollendete Geschichten, die Schwachstellen aufzeigen, werden abgelehnt und möglicherweise als problematisch angesehen. Anhand eines anschaulichen Fallbeispiels einer Studie über Resilienznarrative und das Altern untersuchen wir, wie die Autoren der Studie Resilienz positionieren und identifizieren. Wir weisen auf einige in der Forschung verwendete Interpretationen darüber hin, wer auf der Grundlage von Äußerungen der Verwundbarkeit resilient ist. Insgesamt betrachten wir die Spannungen zwischen kulturellen und persönlichen Narrativen, die ältere Menschen als verletzliche Subjekte positionieren, und argumentieren, dass Verletzlichkeit eine große Quelle von Stärke und Sinnfindung im späteren Lebensalter sein kann.
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K. de Medeiros and P. Ermoshkina declare that they have no competing interests.
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de Medeiros, K., Ermoshkina, P. Vulnerability and narrative in later life. Z Gerontol Geriat (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00391-024-02310-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00391-024-02310-7