Forever productive: The discursive shaping of later life workers in contemporary Canadian newspapers

Abstract

Increasingly, `productive aging' is promoted within government policies and reports in several Western nations, as well as those of international organizations. The ways in which `productive aging' comes to be shaped within texts, that is, its discursive shaping, influences what aging individuals view as possible and ideal ways to be and do in later life, as well as what collectivities view as required services and programs to support such identities and occupations. Drawing on governmentality theory, in concert with occupational science, a critical discourse analysis of 72 Canadian newspaper articles pertaining to work and retirement published in 2006 was conducted to examine how 'productive aging' is shaped within such print media texts and the possibilities for identity and occupation promoted. This work critically analyzes ways 'later life workers' have come to be discursively shaped within neoliberal sociopolitical contexts, characterized by emphases on fostering individual responsibility, decreasing state dependency, and increasing privatization. The authors raises concerns related to occupational injustice, arguing for continuing vigilance regarding the ways 'productive aging' discourses might be drawn on to justify further state and workplace retreat from policies and programs that support those who face challenges to continued engagement in work or who cannot, or chose not to, be 'forever productive'.