Research project Our language shapes what we see as possible and desirable. This project explores how older women understand their bodies, perceived opportunities for physical activity, and how this influences social participation. Using narratives from interviews, focus groups, and creative workshops, we aim to identify new pathways to participation and support health in later life.
The project explores how older women experience their bodies, social roles, and participation, and how they negotiate capability and belonging. It examines how voluntary associations and volunteering can support participation, and identifies barriers and enabling conditions. Findings will advance knowledge on how age-, gender-, and body-related norms shape later-life participation, informing public health, civil society, eldercare, and planning of public spaces.
Social norms profoundly shape how people feel and the opportunities they have for a good life. Among other things, they influence who gains access to social interaction and a sense of belonging—factors that are critical for both mental health and quality of life. Older women are often particularly vulnerable in this regard, as assumptions about age, gender, and physical capacity affect which needs and resources are taken seriously and considered legitimate in society (Marmot, 2010; World Health Organization, 2015).
Research indicates that norms related to age and gender may constrain older women’s opportunities for social participation, both through others’ responses and through how women perceive themselves (including their bodies, capabilities, and social roles) (Radl, 2012; von Humboldt et al., 2020). From a caring science perspective, this remains a relatively underexplored dimension in which social conditions may contribute to ill health later in life. There is therefore a need for further research grounded in older women’s own experiences of social participation, while also generating knowledge to inform health-promoting and preventive interventions.
The project examines how older women experience their physical capacity and opportunities for social participation, and how these experiences are shaped by norms related to age, gender, and functionality. Through interviews, group discussions, and creative workshops, the women participate actively in the research and contribute their perspectives. The project investigates not only what participation is, but how it is negotiated in everyday life—what is experienced as possible, desirable, or constraining in social contexts. Particular attention is given to organised activities and voluntary associations as important arenas for community and belonging later in life.
Social participation is crucial for health and quality of life, yet many older women are constrained by norms that render certain bodies and roles less accepted. Such constraints may contribute to loneliness and psychological distress. By making visible how these norms shape everyday life, the project aims to generate knowledge that can reduce inequities and support more inclusive forms of participation. The findings will be used to inform the development of health-promoting and preventive approaches within civil society, health and social care, and popular education—positioning older women as co-creators of change.
