Gender representations / transpositions: peculiarities ofthe “third age”

The paper clarifies the concept of gender representation / transposition. The authors substantiate the relevance of studying this social phenomenon with respect to people of the “third age”, whose number has been growing since 1950. The fact of such growth and the small number of studies regarding interests, preferences and value orientations of people belonging to this category are considered in detailed and provided with substantive arguments. The authors especially emphasize the practical absence of studies of gender representations / transpositions of aged people, as well as lack of general research on gender issues of this category of population. Gender representations / transpositions are considered by the authors as the change in the gender identity of social subjects, the very possibility of which becomes permissible due to the possibility of choosing an identity, whose existential grounds are being questioned. Gender representations become possible and in demand in the modern world, when individuals are forced to assume multiple social roles, and social reality itself dictates the need for flexible and multiple identities for successful existence in an environment of social relations. The phenomenon of gender representation also occurs during the “third age” period, when, due to both biological and social reasons, it becomes difficult for people to adapt to the changing conditions of their life and work, which raises a number of problems and manifests itself in several variants of representative features. This is a period of loss of distinct biological differences between men and women, a period of common medical and social problems they face. The arising problems of a gender nature, including problems of gender representations, are attributed by the authors to the degree of realization and satisfaction of the people of the “third age” with their achievements in previous years of life. It should be noted that these are the very facts which the difference in gender representative practices implemented during a specified period of a person’s life depends on.