SYMBOLICAL VIOLENCE AGAINST THE ELDERLY AS A NEW FORM OF THEIR SOCIAL EXCLUSION? THE PERSPECTIVE OF CONTEMPORARY ELDERLY WOMEN AND MEN

Abstract

Symbolical violence is one of the crucial categories in Pierre Bourdieu’s considerations. It is an excellent reference point for analysis of current trends in terms of carnality and care for appearance. This category was used to recognize the social perception of an aging human body. According to the research carried out among elderly people, this paper will answer such questions as: do the elderly experience symbolical violence in terms of their carnality? Do they adapt the appearance of their bodies to the patterns characteristic for the habitus of younger generations? The elderly who have taken part in the research recognize the specificity of modern times, but their opinions do not allow us to conclude unambiguously whether the contemporary senior experiences symbolical violence in the field of corporality. According to the respondents, today the elderly people do a lot in order to “fit” to the modern society. However, these activities are treated not only as renunciation, but also as the ones that bring some benefits, for example their well-being.