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Book chapter

Ageing Workers

Katrina Pritchard Orcid Logo, Cara Reed Orcid Logo, Rebecca Whiting

Routledge Handbook of Cultural Gerontology, Start page: Chapter 39

Swansea University Authors: Katrina Pritchard Orcid Logo, Cara Reed Orcid Logo

Abstract

Much research on ageing workers focuses on those over 50 years old, thus comprising a relatively ‘young’ population compared to many areas of gerontology. These have been heavily influenced by medical discourses where 65 has often been regarded as the entry marker to old age. It is perhaps then not...

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Published in: Routledge Handbook of Cultural Gerontology
ISBN: 9781032273075 9781003292227
Published: Routledge 2026
Online Access: https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Handbook-of-Cultural-Gerontology/Twigg-Martin/p/book/9781032273075
URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa71317
first_indexed 2026-01-27T16:01:26Z
last_indexed 2026-02-18T11:11:42Z
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spelling v2 71317 2026-01-27 Ageing Workers a8b44bc7c6f2fa716a6b19916af6e3ff 0000-0003-1938-1272 Katrina Pritchard Katrina Pritchard true false eac785df90b2eef0da109b2686386cb3 0000-0003-1085-1661 Cara Reed Cara Reed true false 2026-01-27 CBAE Much research on ageing workers focuses on those over 50 years old, thus comprising a relatively ‘young’ population compared to many areas of gerontology. These have been heavily influenced by medical discourses where 65 has often been regarded as the entry marker to old age. It is perhaps then not surprising that studies of work have not featured heavily in gerontology, which instead is orientated towards retirement and when the ‘non-work’ phase of life takes over. Therefore, in relation to ageing workers, retirement transitions have been the main gerontological focus to date.However, cultural gerontology has long adopted a reflexive approach, recognising that how older and ageing workers might be defined rests as much on social conventions as on medical discourse. Meanwhile significant demographic shifts have prompted policy changes resulting in a reversal of the push to early retirement through extending working lives (Hyde et al. 2018). This leads Riach to suggest that ‘the workplace is one of the most important public settings where we encounter aging’ (2022 p. 106). Cultural gerontology (Twigg and Martin 2015) thus has much in common with researchers in work and organization studies who, like Riach, approach age from a social constructionist perspective, highlighting discursive, material and/or embodied views on ageing workers.Our chapter explores three contemporary areas of research, providing an overview of the contribution of different perspectives to our understanding of the following: ways of working in later life; older workers’ bodies; and ageing, work and retirement. We conclude with a summary of ongoing work, including the reinvigoration of life course perspectives and the importance of intersectionality. We also reflect on new issues and understandings emerging from our crisis-ridden contemporary context. Book chapter Routledge Handbook of Cultural Gerontology Chapter 39 Routledge 9781032273075 9781003292227 30 1 2026 2026-01-30 https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Handbook-of-Cultural-Gerontology/Twigg-Martin/p/book/9781032273075 COLLEGE NANME Management School COLLEGE CODE CBAE Swansea University 2026-02-18T11:11:41.0792076 2026-01-27T15:13:32.4618530 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences School of Management - Business Management Katrina Pritchard 0000-0003-1938-1272 1 Cara Reed 0000-0003-1085-1661 2 Rebecca Whiting 3
title Ageing Workers
spellingShingle Ageing Workers
Katrina Pritchard
Cara Reed
title_short Ageing Workers
title_full Ageing Workers
title_fullStr Ageing Workers
title_full_unstemmed Ageing Workers
title_sort Ageing Workers
author_id_str_mv a8b44bc7c6f2fa716a6b19916af6e3ff
eac785df90b2eef0da109b2686386cb3
author_id_fullname_str_mv a8b44bc7c6f2fa716a6b19916af6e3ff_***_Katrina Pritchard
eac785df90b2eef0da109b2686386cb3_***_Cara Reed
author Katrina Pritchard
Cara Reed
author2 Katrina Pritchard
Cara Reed
Rebecca Whiting
format Book chapter
container_title Routledge Handbook of Cultural Gerontology
container_start_page Chapter 39
publishDate 2026
institution Swansea University
isbn 9781032273075
9781003292227
publisher Routledge
college_str Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
department_str School of Management - Business Management{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Management - Business Management
url https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Handbook-of-Cultural-Gerontology/Twigg-Martin/p/book/9781032273075
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description Much research on ageing workers focuses on those over 50 years old, thus comprising a relatively ‘young’ population compared to many areas of gerontology. These have been heavily influenced by medical discourses where 65 has often been regarded as the entry marker to old age. It is perhaps then not surprising that studies of work have not featured heavily in gerontology, which instead is orientated towards retirement and when the ‘non-work’ phase of life takes over. Therefore, in relation to ageing workers, retirement transitions have been the main gerontological focus to date.However, cultural gerontology has long adopted a reflexive approach, recognising that how older and ageing workers might be defined rests as much on social conventions as on medical discourse. Meanwhile significant demographic shifts have prompted policy changes resulting in a reversal of the push to early retirement through extending working lives (Hyde et al. 2018). This leads Riach to suggest that ‘the workplace is one of the most important public settings where we encounter aging’ (2022 p. 106). Cultural gerontology (Twigg and Martin 2015) thus has much in common with researchers in work and organization studies who, like Riach, approach age from a social constructionist perspective, highlighting discursive, material and/or embodied views on ageing workers.Our chapter explores three contemporary areas of research, providing an overview of the contribution of different perspectives to our understanding of the following: ways of working in later life; older workers’ bodies; and ageing, work and retirement. We conclude with a summary of ongoing work, including the reinvigoration of life course perspectives and the importance of intersectionality. We also reflect on new issues and understandings emerging from our crisis-ridden contemporary context.
published_date 2026-01-30T11:11:42Z
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