Women and Aging

This entry focuses on the experiences of women in society and their perceptions of what it means to grow older. Aging is not limited to chronological age or to the number of years lived from birth. Women respond to the concept of aging based on their understanding of place from a historical, societal, and cultural context. According to demographic shifts beginning in early 2000, women can anticipate living well into their 80th year of life. This age span necessitates consideration of new roles and challenges that extend beyond a woman’s reproductive capacity and years of raising children. Numerous research studies and literature findings point to a new outlook on women and aging. Increasingly, women are viewing the aging process with hopefulness rather than simply as ...