Reclaiming the self: How do older people experience and perceive their ageing?

At 30 June 2012, 14% of the Australian population was over the age of 65 (3.2 million people), including 2% over the age of 85 (423,700 people) (AIHW 2013). Despite these statistics, older age continues to be negatively perceived in medical, psychological, social, government and media discourses. This often associates older age with loss such as social isolation and withdrawal (including unproductivity), and a body in decline with malfunctioning or deficit physical, mental and emotional resources (Gullette 2004; Hunt 2005). This social negativity towards ageing may contribute to, or could be at odds with, how older people perceive and experience their body and the ageing process. This project seeks to understand ageing from the perspective of people who are aged 65 years and over. To achieve this, older people living independently in the Greater Launceston region have been given digital cameras to record and capture what is important and significant in their lives and their sense of self, identity and embodiment. This small exhibition provides initial insight into the findings of this project.