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Key Learnings from ‘Seniors of Canada’: A Community Project Aimed to Disrupt Ageism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 April 2024

Stephanie Hatzifilalithis Open the ORCID record for Stephanie Hatzifilalithis [Opens in a new window] ,
Rachel Weldrick Open the ORCID record for Rachel Weldrick [Opens in a new window]  and
Kelsey Harvey Open the ORCID record for Kelsey Harvey [Opens in a new window]
Stephanie Hatzifilalithis*
Affiliation:
Women’s Age Lab, Women’s College Hospital Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Rachel Weldrick
Affiliation:
School of Urban and Regional Planning, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON, Canada
Kelsey Harvey
Affiliation:
Department of Communication Studies and Media Arts, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada The Pulse Lab, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
*
Corresponding author: Correspondence and requests for offprints should be sent to: Stephanie Hatzifilalithis, Women’s Age Lab, Women’s College Hospital, 76 Grenville St, Toronto ON M5S 1B2 (hatzifis@mcmaster.ca).
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Abstract

Visual representations of aging have historically relied upon binarized clichés: idealized youthfulness versus frailty and illness. To challenge these oversimplified depictions, graduate students developed a community outreach project titled ‘Seniors of Canada’. The aim of this project was twofold: (1) share images and stories of people in later life; and (2) challenge dominant narratives and stereotypes of aging. In this note, we outline the prevailing discourse of what aging ‘looks like’, how we collected stories and images, and implications for knowledge mobilization and research in Canada. This article highlights insights gained since the inception of the project, including three key learnings: (1) Building bridges across academia and community, (2) Intergenerational connection and digital tools, and (3) The power of visual storytelling. We provide a practical overview of a successful knowledge mobilization/community outreach project and showcase the power of bridging academia and community for social change.

Résumé

Résumé

Les représentations visuelles du vieillissement ont toujours reposé sur des clichés binarisés : jeunesse idéalisée par opposition à fragilité et maladie. Pour remettre en question ces représentations simplifiées, des étudiants de cycles supérieurs ont mis au point un projet de sensibilisation communautaire intitulé « Seniors of Canada ». L’objectif de ce projet était double: (1) partager des images et des témoignages de personnes âgées; et (2) remettre en question les récits et stéréotypes dominants sur le vieillissement. Dans cette note, nous décrivons le discours dominant sur ce à quoi ressemble le vieillissement, ainsi que notre démarche de collecte de témoignages et d’images, et les implications de notre projet pour la mobilisation des connaissances et la recherche au Canada. Ce document met en lumière les connaissances acquises depuis le début du projet, notamment trois thèmes d’apprentissage clés : (1) la création de liens entre le monde universitaire et la communauté, (2) les liens intergénérationnels et les outils numériques et (3) le pouvoir de la narration visuelle. Nous donnons un aperçu pratique d’un projet réussi de mobilisation des connaissances et de sensibilisation de la communauté, et montrons le pouvoir des liens entre le monde universitaire et la communauté dans les efforts de changement social.

Keywords

ageismcommunity outreachintergenerationalknowledge mobilizationolder peopleâgismesensibilisation communautaireintergénérationnelmobilisation des connaissances
Type
Research Note/Note de recherche
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , First View , pp. 1 - 7
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Copyright
© Canadian Association on Gerontology 2024

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