Becoming and being an exiting elder

This paper presents emerging ideas about an ‘exiting elder’ identity. The paper’s stimulus was when an academic seminar presenter introduced herself as an ‘exiting elder’, a term I had not previously heard. With my interest in identity and in how we discursively position ourselves in relation to others (Garcia & Hardy, 2007; Ybema et al., 2009), and being in my mid fifties and beginning to think about the later stages of my career, the term fascinated and resonated with me. Therefore, I met Greta (pseudonym) to explore what the term meant to her. Greta’s belief is that exiting elder may be a ‘concept whose time is coming or hasn’t yet come’ (interview). Therefore, the paper’s ideas connect with the sub-theme’s interest in how ageing is made real in organizations, and how, why and in what circumstances older age is valued and privileged (Hardy et al, 2015). The paper also begins to explore how and in what circumstances ‘exiting elder’ may become a salient identity and ‘how age works as an organizing principle’ (Thomas et al., 2014: 1570).