ABSTRACT
This chapter explains individual and psychological trauma with an understanding of the socio-cultural context in which it occurred as it relates to the lived experiences of older adults. It utilizes an intersectional life course perspective to understand the relationship between trauma and aging with a particular focus on context and meaning. The way in which trauma is examined and understood in much of the practice and research literature is as something that happens to, and affects only, the individual – as in psychological trauma. Trauma can also be embedded in systems, institutions, and structures. The sites and sectors of health and social care that older adults must access can reinforce oppression, create greater harm through re-traumatization, and result in a lack of safety and control for those who have been impacted by trauma. Collective and historical trauma may directly affect individuals and/or impact through familial and cultural proximity.
