「高齢者」・ジェンダー・アイデンティティ

概要

論文の詳細を見る
It is said that the transition to old age is comparatively smoother for women than it is for men. "Elderly" men tend to find it difficult to form bonds with others after retirement. This is a theme which is in fact deeply related with modernity. This paper aims to elucidate the issues involved by focusing on the lifestyles of elderly men. Specifically, the paper considers issues of gender and identity that concern the elderly, through a study of the interaction between one elderly man and a group of boys in a novel by Kazumi Yumoto called Natsu no niwa - The Friends. This is a tale of the relationship between anelderly man and three boys over the course of one summer. Through their interaction,they each become aware of their respective identities: the man is considered by theboys as bokura no ojiisan (our granddad) while the man sees the boys as preciousfriends. The novel depicts the process of their self realization as they become aware of a part of themselves that they had not even tried to see before. This paper focuses on the changes undergone by the old man and the people around him. Through this old man's life, I unravel the relationship between modernity and gender and aim to elucidate clues for constructing an all new concept of gender.
2009-03-31