Recognise that people experience ageing differently
Dr Amy Barron
Dr Barron, a Lecturer in Social and Cultural Geography, specialises in the study of age, ageing, and the life-course. Her research is grounded in cultural theory, with a particular focus on more-than-representational approaches and affect, to highlight social difference. Dr Barron employs a diverse range of research methods, including ethnographic, creative, and participatory techniques, with a priority on investigating ordinary and often overlooked places.
As the world’s population grows older, it’s important to recognise that ageing is not experienced in the same way for everyone; it is lived and understood uniquely by each individual.
Now is the time to...
- place the voices of older people at the heart of policy creation by using creative, participatory social science research methods;
- move beyond reductive and homogenising representations of older age by celebrating the different ways it is lived;
- share the stories of older people to showcase the different ways ageing is experienced;
- continue to research with older people from different cultures and socio-economic backgrounds;
- better understand the ways older people’s lives relate to the places in which they live and spend time.
Find out more
- Visit the project website: Beyond older age: approaches to understand the diverse lives of older people
- Barron, A. (2017) 'Checklists alone cannot create age-friendly places: lived experiences matter', Policy@Manchester
- Barron, A. (2018) 'Beyond 'Older Age: a photo and story collection to illuminate the individual', Policy@Manchester
- Barron, A. (2023) 'We all age differently: approaches to understand the diverse lives of older people', Policy@Manchester
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Related research
- Learn more about The University of Manchester’s global inequalities research; advancing our understanding of the world in which we live and addressing inequalities to improve lives
- Find out more about Creative Manchester, which develops and sustains interdisciplinary research communities across the University and promotes creativity as a practice across three themes: Creative Industries and Innovation, Creativity, Health and Wellbeing, and Creative and Civic Futures
- Learn more about the University's policy engagement institute, Policy@Manchester, which connects researchers with policymakers and influencers, nurtures long-term policy engagement relationships, and seeks to enhance stakeholder understanding of pressing policy challenges
Read more about research in Geography at The University of Manchester.