Fifteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

Women’s roles in later life have dramatically changed in recent years. Research indicates that women over 40 are largely “invisible” when it comes to popular culture and media, yet are more likely than previous generations to work outside the home, experience divorce, and date and remarry late in life. The confluence of these events coupled with a societal preoccupation with appearance and youthfulness has led to an increasing number of older women engaging in “body work”, i.e., dieting, exercise regimens, disordered eating, and cosmetic procedures (Gimlan 2002). The present study gives voice to aging women’s corporeal experiences through in-depth semi-structured interviews about an increasingly contradictory social terrain—one where they are expected to be conventionally attractive and sexy while simultaneously being (grand)motherly and nurturing. Research on the appearance pressures and norms of women in this demographic is incredibly important—and understudied—as they make up approximately one quarter of the U.S. population. In addition, there has been little to no research which examines how discrimination based on body size is impacted by age. The findings offer insight for numerous disciplines and subdisciplines, i.e., sociology, fat studies, social psychology, anthropology, communications, and women’s and gender studies.