Doing old(er) age in a translocal context: Turkish-born women's experiences of ageing, care and post-mortem care practices

This article elaborates on how Turkish-born women in Sweden do old age in relation to gender and migrancy and aims to understand the fluid process of doing over their life course. It draws upon 20 in-depth and semi-structured interviews with Turkish-born women aged 60-78 and aims to address the tensions between agency and intersecting power positions. Theoretically, the article relies on critical feminist gerontology and doing old age to address the negotiations and performances of the interviewed women. The findings show that there are several ambivalences and dilemmas in how the women do old age in a transnational setting. Intergenerational and gendered old age care comes to fore as a significant negotiation site. The women negotiate identity categories with both imagined others and the social actors in their lives (such as their children) over their life course, which implies the situated and relational aspect of doing old age.

Automated summary

This article explores how Turkish-born women in Sweden experience old age in relation to their gender and migration background, aiming to understand the ongoing process of navigating old age over the course of their lives. Based on 20 in-depth and semi-structured interviews with Turkish-born women aged 60-78, the article addresses the complexities between agency and intersecting power dynamics. The findings reveal the complexities and dilemmas these women face in navigating old age within a transnational context, particularly in negotiating intergenerational and gendered care. It highlights the importance of considering the situated and relational aspects of doing old age.