Paper short abstract:

Presentation is based on an analysis of focus groups on gender aspects and standards of ageing, interpretations of subjective experience of personal physical ageing as well as reflections on cosmetic interventions from a perspective of older persons.

Paper long abstract:

The body is a central topos of our existence and getting old is a process which inevitably transforms a body (and a face) as time passes by. The body and its condition are interrelated in complex ways. Ageing is a multi-layered process which includes not only physiological, but also psychological remodeling (Fortunati, 2001) at individual level, where a special scientific emphasis lies on subjective interpretations and individual creating of meaning of these "remodeling" processes. Given the fact that we do not age in socio-cultural vacuum, it is extremely important that the analysis of interpretations of subjective experiences includes both a person's biography and his/her broader living context. Ageing and old age can be interpreted and coded in different (compatible but also diametrically opposed) ways. If the gender aspect is included in the analysis of complex processes of ageing, multidimensional insights about double gender standards and self-evaluations become clearly visible. These double standards are connected with the internalized gender asymmetry in the society/culture. This presentation is based on the analysis of focus groups held in four homes for older and infirm people in Croatian cities of Zagreb and Split, with the participation of its users. The analysis is focused on interpretations of subjective experiences of personal physical ageing, gendered experiences of ageing as well as detailed explanations of attitudes towards plastic surgery and practices of physical and facial beautification or masking someone's real age, thus understanding ageing and old age in a broader socio-cultural context.