ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author looks at how distancing and association with the membership category “old” are managed by members in relation to identity work, highlighting in particular its embeddedness in practical activities. The gradable properties of age categories are particularly evident when out-group members can be designated with the same membership category. A decremental perspective is evoked with the out-group member occupying the very end of the scale, but decline remains impending for any member. The stable character of membership categories is in contrast with the variability of their conversational use. That is, their commonsense meaning stands in opposition to their malleability in allowing members to produce highly individualized and differentiated identities. The analysis has shown how the women project positive personal identities, differentiating themselves from old age categories and from related category-bound activities. The images of older women emerging from the transcripts analyzed are ones of busy and effective adults.
