Aging as Adaptation.

Area of Science:

• Cultural gerontology
• Cultural studies
• Humanities

Background:

• Traditional gerontology views adaptation as physical aids or organizational adjustments to mitigate age-related impairments and discrimination.
• Cultural studies and humanities theories of adaptation have evolved beyond fidelity criticism to embrace adaptation as a creative, improvisational space.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine aging in relation to adaptation theories from cultural studies and the humanities.
• To explore if these theories can reframe aging as transformational and collaborative adaptation.
• To investigate the role of intergenerational feminism in women's adaptation processes.

Main Methods:

• Interdisciplinary analysis integrating gerontology with cultural adaptation theories.
• Qualitative research involving interviews with the producer and scriptwriter of the play "My Turn Now."
• Examination of the play's script, adapted from a book by a group of older women.

Main Results:

• Cultural adaptation theories offer a framework for conceptualizing aging as a dynamic, creative, and collaborative process.
• This approach moves beyond traditional views of aging as solely mitigation of decline.
• The study highlights the significance of intergenerational feminist perspectives in understanding women's aging experiences.

Conclusions:

• Theories of adaptation from cultural studies and humanities provide a novel lens for understanding aging.
• Reframing aging as transformational and collaborative adaptation offers new insights, especially for women.
• The Representage theater group's work exemplifies these adaptive and intergenerational concepts in practice.