Recognition that old age is a socially defined category challenges conventional analyses of the geography of aging. In this paper I call for a political analysis of the ways in which the built environment is implicated in the reproduction of, and challenges to, labels associated with aging populations and thus with the construction of elderly identities. The role of struggles around the built environment in changing definitions of old age is illustrated with a case study from Toronto.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AchenbaumW.A.1978. Old Age in the New Land (Westview PressBoulder, CO)
2.
AndersonK.J.1987, “The idea of Chinatown: the power of place and institutional practice in the making of a racial category” Annals of the Association of American Geographers77580–598.
3.
AndersonK.J.1988, “Cultural hegemony and the race-definition process in Chinatown, Vancouver: 1880–1980” Environment and Planning D: Society and Space6127–149.
4.
AriesP.1962. Centuries of Childhood (Jonathan CapeLondon)
5.
ArlukeA., LevinJ.1986, “'Second childhood': old age in popular culture”, in Growing Old in America: New Perspectives on Old Age Eds HessB, MarksonE (Transaction BooksNew Brunswick, NJ) pp 151–158
6.
BantingK.1982. The Welfare State and Canadian Federalism (McGill-Queen's University PressMontreal)
7.
BrydenK.1974. Old Age Pensions and Policy Making in Canada (McGill-Queen's University PressMontreal)
8.
ChudacoffH.1989. How Old Are You? Age Consciousness in American Culture (Princeton University PressPrinceton, NJ)
9.
CIC,1991. Directory of Community Services in Metropolitan TorontoCommunity Information Centre of Metropolitan Toronto, 500 Jarvis St, Toronto, Ontario M4Y 2J4
10.
CMHC,1990, “Retirement homes survey, 1989”, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Toronto Branch, 650 Lawrence Ave W, Toronto M6A 1B2
11.
CockburnC.1977. The Local State (Pluto PressLondon)
12.
ColeT.1993. The Journey of Life: A Cultural History of Aging in America (Cambridge University PressNew York)
13.
CowardL.1959, “Pension and welfare plans in Canada: history and trends” Society of Actuaries, Transactions10174–201.
14.
DavisJ.1991. Contested Ground: Collective Action and the Urban Neighborhood (Cornell University PressIthaca, NY)
15.
DearM., WolchJ.1989, “How territory shapes social life”, in The Power of Geography: How Territory Shapes Social Life Eds WolchJ., DearM.J. (Unwin HymanWinchester, MA) pp 3–18
16.
DunlopD.1980, “Mandatory retirement policy: a human rights dilemma?”, report from the Conference Board in Canada, Suite 100, 25 McArthur Rd, Ottawa, Ontario K1L 6R3
17.
ECC,1979, “One in three: pensions for Canadians to 2030”,Economic Council of Canada (Ministry of Supply and ServicesOttawa)
18.
EnglandK.1991, “Gender relations and the spatial structure of the city” Geoforum22135–147.
19.
EstesC.1983, “Fiscal austerity and aging”, in Fiscal Austerity and Aging: Shifting Responsibility for the Elderly Eds EstesC., NewcomerR. (SageBeverly Hills, CA) pp 17–40
20.
Generations1992, “Aging in place”, special issue 16(2)
21.
GolantS.1985, “In defense of age-segregated housing” Aging number 345, 22–26
22.
GolantS.1992. Housing America's Elderly. Many Possibilities/Few Choices (SageNewbury Park, CA)
23.
GolantS., RowlesG., MeyerJ.1989, “Aging and the aged”, in Geography in America Eds GaileG., WilmottC. (MerrillColumbus, OH) pp 451–466
24.
HaberC.1993, “Over the hill to the poorhouse: rhetoric and reality in the institutional history of the aged”, in Societal Impact on Aging: Historical Perspectives Eds SchaieK.W., AchenbaumA.W. (SpringerNew York) pp 90–113
25.
Halifax Chronicle1985, “Alcan makes early retirement offer”, 30 March Hanson S, Pratt G, 1988, “Reconceptualizing the links between home and work in urban geography” Economic Geography64645–664.
26.
HardingS.1991. Whose Science? Whose Knowledge? Thinking from Women's Lives (Cornell University PressIthaca, NY)
27.
HareP.1992, “Frail elders and the suburbs” Generations16(2) 35–40.
28.
HarperS., ThaneP.1987, “The consolidation of old age as a phase of life, 1945–65”, in Growing Old in the Twentieth Century Ed. JeffreysM. (Routledge, Chapman and Hall, Andover, Hants) pp 43–61
29.
HarveyD.1985. The Urban Experience (Johns Hopkins University PressBaltimore, MD)
30.
HoldsworthD., LawsG.1994, “Landscapes of old age in coastal British Columbia” Canadian Geographer38(2) 162–169.
31.
HooksB.1991. Yearning: Race, Gender and Cultural Politics (South End PressBoston, MA)
32.
Human Rights Code1990. Revised Statutes of Ontario 1990 c.H19 (Queen's Printer of OntarioToronto)
33.
JacksonP.1988, “Street life: the politics of Carnival” Environment and Planning D: Society and Space6213–227.
34.
JacksonP.1989. Maps of Meaning (Unwin HymanLondon)
35.
JacksonP.1991, “The cultural politics of masculinity: towards a social geography” Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers16199–213.
36.
JacksonP.1992, “The politics of the streets: a geography of Carribana” Political Geography11(2) 130–151.
37.
JacksonP., SmithS.1981. Social Interaction and Ethnic Segregation (Academic PressLondon)
38.
KastenbaumR.1993, “Encrusted elders: Arizona and the political spirit of postmodern aging”, in Voices and visions. Toward a Critical Gerontology Eds ColeT., AchenbaumW.A., JakobiP., KastenbaumR. (SpringerNew York) pp 160–183
39.
LauriaM., KnoppL.1985, “Toward an analysis of gay communities in the urban renaissance” Urban Geography6152–169.
40.
LawsG.1991, “Restructuring rural regions: how do rural areas cope with an aging population?”, paper presented to the International Symposium on Contemporary Social and Economic Restructuring of Rural Areas, Birmingham, England; copy available from author Laws G, 1993, “The land of old age': society's changing attitudes toward urban built environments for elderly people” Annals of the Association of American Geographers83672–693.
41.
LawsG.1994a, “Oppression, knowledge and the built environment” Political Geography13(1) 7–32.
42.
LawsG.1994b, “Embodiment and emplacement: identities, representation and landscape in Sun City retirement communities” International Journal of Aging and Human Development (forthcoming)
43.
McDonaldP., WannerR.1990. Retirement in Canada (ButterworthToronto)
44.
Macleans1980, “Refusing the golden handshake”, 18 August MMT, 1992 Key Facts Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto, 22nd Floor, Metro Hall, 55 John St, Toronto, Ontario M5V 3C6
45.
MTHA,1989. Annual Report 1989 Metropolitan Toronto Housing Agencies, Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto, 20 York Mills Rd, Willowdale, Ontario M2P 2C2
46.
NorthcottR.1988. Changing Residence: The Geographic Mobility of Elderly Canadians (ButterworthToronto)
47.
Nursing Home Act,1989. Revised Statutes of Ontario 1980 chapter 320 as amended (Queen's Printer of OntarioToronto)
48.
OACSC,1988/89 Aging Together. An Exploration of Attitudes Towards Aging in Multicultural Ontario Ontario Advisory Council on Senior Citizens (Queen's Printer of OntarioToronto)
49.
OMH, undated, “Seniors retirement community project”, pamphlet, Ontario Ministry of Housing, 777 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2E5
50.
O'ReillyP.1990, “Increase in affluent seniors will affect Canadian housing” Real Estate News17
51.
May OSCA/ODP,1990. Strategies for Change: Comprehensive Reform of Ontario's Long-term Care Services Office for Senior Citizens’ Affairs/Office for Disabled Persons (Queen's Printer of OntarioToronto)
52.
PDD,1991. Planning to Grow Old in Toronto City of Toronto Planning and Development Department, City Hall, 100 Queen Street W, Toronto, Ontario M5H 2N2
53.
PettmanJ.1991, “Racism, sexism and sociology”, in Intersexions: Gender/Class/Culture/Ethnicity Eds BottomleyG., de LepervancheM., MartinJ. (Allen and UnwinSydney) pp 187–202
54.
PhillipsonC.1982. Capitalism and the Construction of Old Age (MacmillanLondon)
55.
RowlesG.1983, “Place and personal identity in old age: observations from Appalachia” Journal of Environmental Psychology3299–313.
56.
RowlesG.1986, “The geography of ageing and the aged: toward an integrated perspective” Progress in Human Geography10511–539.
57.
RowlesG.1988, “What's rural about rural aging? An Appalachian perspective” Journal of Rural Studies4115–124.
58.
RowlesG., WatkinsJ., FaganM.1992, “Elderly migration and economic development. Guidelines for Appalachian communities”, Sanders Brown Center on Aging, University of KentuckyLexington, KY
59.
SerowW., HaasW.1992, “Measuring the economic impact of retirement migration: the case of western North Carolina” The Journal of Applied Gerontology11200–215.
60.
SmithS.1984, “Negotiating ethnicity in an uncertain environment” Ethnic and Racial Studies7360–373.
61.
StoneL., FletcherS.1986, “The seniors boom: dramatic increases in longevity and prospects for better health”, Statistics CanadaOttawa
62.
TeskiM., HelsabeckR., SmithF., YaegerC.1983. A City Revitalized: The Elderly Lose at Monopoly (University Press of AmericaLanham, MD)
63.
The Globe and Mail1987a, “Seniors fight to keep bus route”, 27 March
64.
The Globe and Mail1987b, “Seniors win reprieve for Yonge bus route”, 8 April
65.
The Globe and Mail1987c, “Builders target elderly as hot new market”, 2 October
66.
The Globe and Mail1989, “Residents question new home for seniors”, 8 February
67.
The Toronto Star1987, “Savings-rich retirees present a new market”, 19 December
68.
The Toronto Star1988a, “Retirement capital of Canada inundated with 40,000 seniors”, 30 January
69.
The Toronto Star1988b, “Housing firm plans condominiums exclusively for residents over 55”, 23 March
70.
The Toronto Star1989a, “Builders strive to meet housing needs of seniors”, 17 June
71.
The Toronto Star1989b, “TTC escalator urged in seniors’ area”, 17 July
72.
The Toronto Star1990, “Age of reason”, 1 October
73.
TMCA,1991, “FAST: Facts Affecting Seniors in Toronto”, Toronto's Mayor's Committee on AgingCity Hall, Toronto
74.
Van HorneR.1986. A New Agenda: Health and Social Service Strategies for Ontario's Seniors (Queen's Printer of OntarioToronto)
75.
VesperiM.1985. City of Green Benches: Growing Old in a New Downtown (Cornell University PressIthaca, NY)
76.
WarnesA.1990, “Geographical questions in gerontology: needed directions for research” Progress in Human Geography1424–56.
77.
WGSG,1984. Geography and Gender Women and Geography Study Group of the Institute of British Geographers (Hutchinson EducationLondon)
78.
WinchesterH.1991, The geography of children” Area23357–360Winnipeg Free Press1985, “Inco offers incentives for early retirement”, 13 February
