The cultural construction of women’s aging Confronting meanings, experiences, and practices in early 21st century Chile

This research explores the meanings of women’s aging within contemporary Chilean society. Its purpose is threefold: first, to understand how female aging is constructed in Chile in different social groups; secondly, to understand how women from different social backgrounds give meaning to their experience of menopause and aging; and, finally, to analyze how those meanings are related to the ideas put forward by different actors such as the Western medical system, alternative treatments, the media, and public policy. I used a multi-sited ethnographic approach, conducting interviews with medical specialists, women in the process of menopause, ethnographic observations, and content analysis of scientific papers and media representations.
I contend that within the health care system, the dominant narrative (healthscape) is a medicalized view of menopause, as hormonal replacement therapies are believed to be the ultimate solution for the issues of aging women. The mass media also represent a negative view of female aging.
When exploring the meanings women give to their process of aging, I found out that both upper middle class and working class women tended to reproduce traditional gender norms. While upper-middle-class women resorted to biomedical technology to fight aging, working-class women tended to accept aging as something inevitable. An exception was found among women who practice yoga, which can be related to the idea of “affirmative old-age”.
In conclusion I suggest that Chilean society is not prepared to face the ongoing aging of its population. Currently, there are no political subjects able to represent aging women’s needs.