Periodic Reporting for period 2 - LiLI (Later Life Intimacy: Women’s Unruly Practices, Spaces and Representations)
Reporting period: 2021-11-01 to 2023-04-30
The LiLI project aims to develop an affirmative story of intimacy and (a)sexuality based on the knowledge and lived experiences of older women themselves. We are particularly interested in the diverse experiences and ideas that have the potential to destabilise prevailing stereotypes. The 'unruly' experiences and insights of women who do not fit into the mainstream - due to aspects such as age, gender, sexuality, relationship style, ability, ethnicity, etc. - are crucial to the development of a critical and affirmative theory of older women's sexuality.
The main aims of the project:
(1) To develop a new methodological model that foregrounds older women's marginalised or non-normative sexual experiences as 'unruly' knowledge that will ultimately enable a reconstruction of theory
(2) Map the socio-cultural, spatial and ideological landscape that both constrains older women's sexuality and creates potential for overcoming sexist and ageist power structures.
(3) Promote understanding of older women's 'unruly' strategies in order to develop theory of sexuality and ageing that recognises both the material reality of ageing bodies and the dominant sexual norms and social power structures that shape older women's sexuality.
• The anthropological study focuses on intimate and sexual practises and collects stories from midlife and older women about the experience of their sexuality and intimate life. Previous ethnographic fieldwork included participant observation in 5 different settings, interviews with over 30 participants, workshops and analysis of self-help and autobiographical books, documentaries, news articles and life stories.
• The social geographical study explores how intimate experiences in later life are constrained, enabled and/or shaped by the way physical and digital space is organised. Ethnographic fieldwork was conducted in 3 different settings, including long-term participant observation and in-depth interviews.
• The culture and media study explores representations. We analyse various media and other cultural products that portray middle-aged and older women, but also examine how these products are created and how older women perceive them. An extensive corpus of 'unruly' media representations has been collected. Part of this archive is freely accessible on the LiLI project website and comprises more than 100 entries and is regularly updated with new material.
Some preliminary results:
• Older trans women and non-binary people transgress age and gender in significant ways when they date. Their practises and opinions defy normative notions of beauty and sexual attractiveness.
• In the media, older women are often portrayed as bitter, mean, complaining, grumpy and whiny. Through an analysis of various portrayals in films, TV series, cartoons, digital platforms, photographs and embroidery, we found that being grumpy is not necessarily something to be avoided at all costs, but can also be part of a strategy of resistance for older women.
• Menopause is generally viewed from a psycho-medical perspective. However, the transition to menopause can be a time when awareness of systems of oppression grows, provoking anger and resistance in women. Our archive of cultural products made by and for older women reveals an aesthetic of breakdown, creative anarchy and experimentation that offers new visions of age, sexuality and gender.