GenX women experience seven distinct overlapping and intersecting “frames” of aging

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A recent study conducted by Nottingham Business School (NBS) has explored how Generation X women perceive and experience age in seven distinct ways. The study focused on women born between 1965 and 1980 and examined if they viewed aging in a traditional chronological sense. The research also considered the implications for marketers, as Generation X is a demographic closely associated with consumer culture and increased disposable income.

The study involved 19 women with diverse life circumstances, aged between 41 and 55, who kept online diaries for three weeks to reflect on and report incidents of personal age-related significance in their day-to-day lives. Analysis of over 250 diary entries revealed seven overlapping and intersecting “frames” of aging: Affective, Protest, Acceptance, Camouflage, Life-Stage, Inequities, and Inconsequence.

These age frames ranged from perceiving age as merely an attitude to outright rejecting age as a socially imposed label. Some participants accepted their chronological age, while others used beauty products and clothing to conceal or camouflage their age.

The study found that taking care of young children and/or aging parents strongly influenced personal age perception, as did experiences related to menopause, either currently or as an approaching event.

Generation X women also felt the weight of inequalities, unfairness, and bias that implied they were less valued than either men of all ages or younger women.

Interestingly, some participants expressed regularly forgetting their chronological age, considering it irrelevant or unrelated to their personal identity.

Sharon-Marie Gillooley, principal lecturer in Marketing at NBS and research lead, highlighted the challenge of defining the age of a Generation X woman.

This generation rejects the need to conform to age- and gender-related roles and rules like their parents did, resulting in diverse experiences and responses to aging. Some embrace their older age, while others maintain a youthful mindset. Some see life as full of possibilities, while others feel the weight of family responsibilities.

The research suggests that marketing to Generation X women presents a unique challenge for companies, as traditional age-based targeting may not be effective.

The study also indicates that the identified age frames may apply to all women all the time, all women some of the time, some women all the time, or some women some of the time.

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