Stereotypes Contested: A Case Study on Older People’s Political Activism, ICT Usage, and Intergenerational Solidarity

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It has become common to think about older people as engaged voters and thus more politically involved than younger people. Studies have suggested that in some European countries older people seem to participate more than younger people in elections (Goerres, 2007; Quintelier, 2007). However, not many people envision older people’s political participation within social movements, in the form of protests, demonstrations, sit-ins, blockades, and other non-institutionalized ways of participating in the political sphere. This piece reflects on some of the stereotypes of older activists.

ACT based research on aging and cognito-politics

While there are no objectively clear distinctions between states of health, improvement, enhancement, optimization, or wellness within these discourses, they are ubiquitous in the proliferation of ‘neuro’ commodities (e.g., brain-stimulants and exercises), ‘neuro’ knowledges (e.g., neuroethics, neuro-marketing) and other ‘breakthrough’ enterprises at the frontier of cerebral subjectivity.

Flipping the camera screen: the importance of imaging technologies in elder communities

When working with elders, it's important to have a particular sensitivity to their life experience, their knowledge, and the ways in which they have been systematically and systemically excluded from the cultural production that requires ‘new media’. This ‘new media’, that is everywhere around them.

Update from the Annual ACT Meeting

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From October 14 to 16, 2016, the third annual ACT meeting took place in Castelldefels, Catalonia, Spain. This year, it was the ACT partner IN3 at the Open University of Catalonia (OUC) that welcomed the ACT team. Some 35 ACT members, including co-applicants, collaborators, community members and students, travelled from North and South America, Europe and Asia to participate in the meeting.

Age 3.0: The Creative Aging Fair

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On August 25, 2016, Concordia University opened its doors to the Montreal community, and Montreal showed up! Throughout the day, an estimated 1,000 people met to engage in conversations about creativity and aging with local startups, artists, activists, researchers, students and community groups.

It’s never too late

Earlier this spring, I met up with my dad as he finished hiking the final kilometres of the Bruce Trail, which is a 900 km trek through South-Central Ontario. As a master’s student with a background in leisure studies, I was curious to learn about my dad’s decision to hike this strenuous trail and to know why he decided to do it now, in retirement.

Fragment of Life / Fragments de Vie: Digital Creativity Opens New Doors for Intergenerational Learning

The "Fragment de Vie/Fragment of Life" exhibit was the final result of a three-month introductory digital photography workshop facilitated by Myriam Lebel-Bernier and Ashley McAskill, two graduate students and ACT research assistants from Concordia University.

Aging Activisms Media Capsules Workshop: a snapshot

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This month’s InFocus piece captures some of the great moments of last weekend’s Aging Activisms Media Capsules Workshop, a collaboration between Trent University and Concordia University.

Shifting Perspectives in the Context of Ageing, Communication, and Technologies at Graz International Summer School Seggau

Every year in July, more than 80 students and 10 professors from over 30 countries meet at the Graz International Summer School Seggau (GUSEGG) in Southern Styria, Austria to discuss global developments and challenges in areas such as society, politics, economics, religion, and culture. As in previous years, students from all over the globe will participate in the summer school and ACT will award a number of ACT-affiliated students with scholarships to participate in the Ageing Studies Workshop –  one of seven thematic afternoon workshops at GUSEGG.