The Purchase of Intimacy

TLDR: Calasanti and Slevin this paper argued that the gerontologist had much to learn about methodology from the post-structural feminist and that age matters. But despite these nits and picks, the book convinced me.

Abstract: pointed with the general lack of reflexivity and contextualization. Reading these “voices” as constructed by the researchers, I felt that the gerontologist had much to learn about methodology from the poststructural feminist. But despite these nits and picks, the book convinced me. Age matters. This is a good book. Not only does it show the gaps in feminist thinking, it offers ways of filling that gap. One of the ways is for us to leave our own fear or disgust or denial of growing old in a culture that does not value aging. Given that many of us “second-wave” feminists will soon be leaving the surety of “middle-age” and moving into old-age (if we are lucky), I can only hope (and expect, actually) that the “personal is political” mantra that has propelled many of us to write and research our own lives will carry us into our next age location. Toni M. Calasanti and Kathleen F. Slevin have given us a road-map. We should carry it with us. We should teach it.