Technical change and the untroubling of gendered ageing in healthcare work

Susan Halford, Natalia Kukarenko, Ann Therese Lotherington, Aud Obstfelder

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

Abstract

Whilst recent years have seen increasing pressure to extend the participation of older people in the labour market, it is clear that there remain significant challenges in achieving this and that these take specifically gendered forms. This paper explores if and how these might be shaped in intra-action with the rapid pace of technological change linked to the pervasive spread of digital technologies in the workplace. We take our theoretical lead from critical gerontology, feminist accounts of inter-sectionality and Science & Technology Studies, which together insist on an anti-essentialist and performative account of gendered ageing that focuses on everyday practices and the conditions that shape these in particular spaces, places and times. Our empirical focus is on healthcare work, where we find that gendered ageing appears in more or less troubled relations to the increasingly technological practices of medicine and nursing. We conclude with a discussion exploring the implications of our theoretical perspective and empirical findings.
Original languageUndefined/Unknown
Pages (from-to)495-509
Number of pages15
JournalGender, Work & Organization
Volume22
Issue number5
Publication statusPublished - 1 Apr 2015

Research Groups and Themes

  • Perspectives on Work

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