Kornilova M., Galkin K. (2026) Stsenarii konstruirovaniya vozrasta pozhilymi lyud'mi v praktikakh modelinga [Scenarios of Age Construction among Older Adults in Modelling Practices]. Zhurnal issledovanii sotsial’noi politiki [The Journal of Social Policy Studies], 24 (1): 125–142. DOI: 10.17323 ...

Текст статьи на сайте журнала URL: https://jsps.hse.ru/article/view/34002 (дата обращения 03.06.2026)

Abstract

This article examines how older adults construct and reinterpret their age identity by participating in fashion shows as models. It aims to reconstruct the formation of age identity within modelling practices, exploring how participation in fashion shows enables individuals to distance themselves from dominant representations of ageing that associate later life with passivity and dependence on medical interventions. The study is based on 49 semi-structured interviews conducted with Moscow and Moscow region residents aged 50 to 76 between July and September 2024. These interviews covered motivations for modeling, perceptions of one’s own age, the role of fashion practices in daily life, and forms of age-related self-reflection through participation in fashion shows. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Three scenarios of age construction were identified: the communication scenario, the escape scenario and modes of age presentation. However, modelling always functions as a space for active engagement with bodily experience and age identity. The findings demonstrate the potential for self-directed age construction in later life, contributing to ongoing discussions on active ageing practices and the transformation of age norms in contemporary social and cultural contexts.