Reflections on ageing from within different cultural contexts

This paper focuses on cultural meanings of ageing. We draw on our ethnographies amongst older women in rural Zimbabwe and with older people in the Republic of Ireland (RoI). From within the context of global ageing, both studies broadly focused on meanings of ageing, independent living and well-being from the perspectives of older people. We reflect on three themes that are relevant to our different contexts: the meaning of chronological age, notions of risk and managing changing expectations of ageing. Further research is needed both to consider how local and changing sets of circumstances influence experiences and expectations of becoming and being an older person and to offer rich cross-cultural comparisons of ageing.