Online: Learning to Be Old: Ageism & Sexism in Everyday Life

This talk uses a sociological approach to demonstrate that adults acquire the knowledge they are old and what it means to be old by the way others treat them. Ageism affects people’s daily lives as they get older, with the double impact of sexism. The talk addresses particularly the impact of gender on how individuals internalize the myths associated with aging. Given COVID, the talk will demonstrate the devastating consequences on those in long-term care.

Deborah van den Hoonaard is professor emerita at St. Thomas University in Gerentology. Deborah does research on gender, widowhood, and Qualitative Social Research. Her current project is a new book on older women’s experiences as widows. Among other publications, she is author of By Himself: The Older Man’s Experience of Widowhood (2013) and The Widowed Self: The Older Woman’s Journey through Widowhood (2001).

To attend on March 31th, click on the following link ( ) or email dgrant@unb.ca.

All are welcome…please have your lunch with us!

The Feminist Lunch Series is organized by the UNB Gender & Women’s Studies Program, the UNB/STU University Women’s Centre and the Office of the UNB Dean of Arts. Special thanks to Daniel Grant for technical help. For more information on the series, contact Sophie Lavoie (lavoie@unb.ca)