Beauty, Gender and Ageing

Abstract

In middle age, people usually become aware of their appearance in new ways. As an age category, middle age represents a gradual transition to a precarious position within age relations, i.e. a system of inequality that privilege younger adults at the expense of old people. Bodies are markers of age and both mid-and later-life bodies are characterised by decline in terms of youthful beauty and physical attractiveness. The ways in which bodies are marked as ‘old’ may vary by the intersections of gender, race, ethnicity, class or sexual orientation, but ageism results nonetheless. Therefore, to avoid identifying themselves as old people adopt various anti-ageing beauty practices. In this chapter, we look at intersections of age and gender in beauty in the context of ageing. We review existing literature from critical gerontology, feminist gerontology and sociology of ageing on gendered beauty ideals of middle-aged and older people, and particularly women’s and men’s beauty practices in anti-ageing culture. We also discuss similarities and differences of ideas of body management among women and men.