Sally Chivers Livres

Challenging the negative stereotypes surrounding aging in North American culture, the book explores how contemporary Canadian literature and film feature articulate elderly female characters. Instead of promoting idealized images of aging, it emphasizes constructive portrayals that foster new narratives about growing old. The author advocates for a nuanced understanding of aging that acknowledges the body's role while highlighting the social and cultural dimensions of the experience. The progression from the individual to a community of older women underscores the importance of these representations.

Institutional care for seniors offers a cultural repository for fears and hopes about an aging population. Although enormous changes have occurred in how institutional care is structured, the legacies of the poorhouse still persist, creating panicked views of the nursing home as a dreaded fate. The paradoxical nature of a space meant to be both hospital and home offers up critical tensions for examination by age studies scholars. The essays in this book challenge stereotypes of institutional care for older adults, illustrate the changes that have occurred over time, and illuminate the continuities in the stories we tell about nursing homes.

Focusing on the theme of aging, this book challenges the prevalent fear associated with growing older by introducing alternative perspectives on valuing the aging process. It offers insights into how society can shift its view and embrace the wisdom and experiences that come with age, encouraging a more positive narrative around the later stages of life.