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DISSERTATION Manning-Dantis.pdf (1.04 MB)

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A CRITICAL FEMINIST EXPLORATION OF SUCCESSFUL AGING AND ADAPTATION OF INTERSECTING MARGINALIZED IDENTITIES: OLDER AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN'S PERCEPTIONS AND DEFINITIONS

Manning Dantis, Jacquelyn
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1397237674

Abstract Details

2014, Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, Gerontology.
The purpose of this study was to explore if intersecting socially constructed identities of race, gender and age influenced how a sample of 18 older African American women, 40 and over, define and experience successful aging. And, if and how do participants deviate from Rowe and Kahn's model. Due to the heterogeneity of ethnic backgrounds for individuals of African descent, my sample included only women who self-identify as African American/black. Because the overall objective was to understand heterogeneity in the aging experiences of African American women, the following primary questions were addressed: 1) How do older African American women who reside in challenging environments and/or lived through challenging experiences define successful aging?; 2) Do older African American women who reside in challenging environments and/or lived through challenging experiences see themselves as having positive marginality? If so, is it relevant to their intersecting identities based on race, gender and age? and 3) If these women experience positive marginality, does this positive marginality help them age successfully based their definition of successful aging? Results show that the intersection of gender and age does directly influence the way participants perceived and defined successful aging. As aging women, participants saw being a woman was significant to partnering, physical attractiveness, and medical issues centered on menopause, in addition to illnesses directly linked to being a woman, such as breast or uterine cancer. Results of this study did not find that race and gender intersect. However, racial discrimination across the life did have an impact on their beliefs about themselves and others as they aged. With race, gender and aging, perceptions depended heavily upon life experiences with social structures and personal struggles with male domination, in addition to abuse and health concerns from participants past, present and future outcomes. Positive marginality did not emerge from the data as constructed by Unger (1998). It is concluded from the findings of this study that a unifying multidimensional model of successful aging is important to understanding aging for the participants. It is further suggested that gender and age be used not only as demographic variables, but as social constructs that influence well-being and later life outcomes.
C. Lee Harrington, PhD (Committee Chair)
Kate de Medeiros, PhD (Committee Co-Chair)
Suzanne Kunkel, PhD (Committee Member)
Rodney Coates, PhD (Committee Member)
Gwendolyn Etter-Lewis, PhD (Committee Member)
106 p.
African Americans; Aging; Gender Studies; Gerontology; Sociology
Gerontology, Gender, African American, Successful Aging, Multidimensional, Critical Feminist Gerontology

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Manning Dantis, J. (2014). A CRITICAL FEMINIST EXPLORATION OF SUCCESSFUL AGING AND ADAPTATION OF INTERSECTING MARGINALIZED IDENTITIES: OLDER AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN'S PERCEPTIONS AND DEFINITIONS [Doctoral dissertation, Miami University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1397237674

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Manning Dantis, Jacquelyn. A CRITICAL FEMINIST EXPLORATION OF SUCCESSFUL AGING AND ADAPTATION OF INTERSECTING MARGINALIZED IDENTITIES: OLDER AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN'S PERCEPTIONS AND DEFINITIONS. 2014. Miami University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1397237674.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Manning Dantis, Jacquelyn. "A CRITICAL FEMINIST EXPLORATION OF SUCCESSFUL AGING AND ADAPTATION OF INTERSECTING MARGINALIZED IDENTITIES: OLDER AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN'S PERCEPTIONS AND DEFINITIONS." Doctoral dissertation, Miami University, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1397237674

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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© 2014, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Miami University and OhioLINK.