Markus Arvidson

On gray dancing : Constructions of age-normality through choreography and temporal codes

Against the background of population aging, older peoples dance has attracted attention in research and its health promoting effects and social meanings have been brought to the fore. In this article we focus on the context and power dimensions of dance with an emphasis on the organizing of dance among older adults in terms of social discourses and age relationships. On the basis of qualitative interviews with 33 older dancers and 11 dance providers in Sweden, the study illustrates how dance is organized through social discourses on healthism and on the increasing group of older people as a powerful consumer group. The study highlights that older people and their social dance contexts are marked and subordinated in relation to younger age groups through non-verbal practices such as choreography and temporal codes. In short, dancing among older adults is not only a common health promoting and social activity, but also an arena in which age and age normality are negotiated and constructed.

Exploring self-loyalty in the context of social acceleration: theorising loyalties as emotions and resistance

Abstract This article is a theoretical exploration of a layer of loyalty called self-loyalty. We define self-loyalty as an emotion that is channelled through social forms. To show the usage and relevance of the concept we present social acceleration as a contextualisation. Two self-loyalty strategies in relation to acceleration are discussed: a voluntary form based on resistance and an involuntary form based on acceptance and ‘playing the game’.