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‘I am busy independent woman who has sense of humor, caring about others’: older adults’ self-representations in online dating profiles

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 December 2017

MINEKO WADA ,
LAURA HURD CLARKE  and
W. BEN MORTENSON Open the ORCID record for W. BEN MORTENSON [Opens in a new window]
MINEKO WADA*
Affiliation:
STAR Institute, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada.
LAURA HURD CLARKE
Affiliation:
School of Kinesiology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
W. BEN MORTENSON
Affiliation:
Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
*
Address for correspondence: Mineko Wada, STAR Institute, Simon Fraser University, #2800–515 West Hastings St., Vancouver, BC, V6B 5K3, Canada E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Similar to their younger counterparts, older adults (age 60+) are increasingly turning to online dating sites to find potential romantic and sexual partners. In this paper, we draw upon qualitative data from a thematic analysis of 320 randomly selected online dating profiles posted by Canadian heterosexual older adults who self-identified as Asian, Black, Caucasian or Native American. In particular, we examined how the older adults’ self-presentations varied according to race/ethnicity, age and gender, and how the language they used to describe themselves and their preferred potential partners reflected and reinforced idealised images of ageing. Our analysis identified five primary ways in which the older adults portrayed themselves. They depicted themselves as active and busy with cultural/artistic, social and adventurous activities; and also as physically healthy and intellectually engaged. Third, they emphasised the ways in which they were productive through work and volunteer activities. Fourth, they accentuated their positive approach to life, identifying themselves as happy, fun-loving and humorous individuals. Finally, they highlighted their personable characteristics, portraying themselves as trustworthy and caring. We discuss our findings with a particular focus on gender differences, drawing on literature on masculinity and femininity, and also look at capital and power relations by considering the online dating setting as a field in the Bourdieusian sense.

Keywords

ageingdatingattitudesperceptionsgenderrace/ethnicitythematic analysis
Type
Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 39 , Issue 5 , May 2019 , pp. 951 - 976
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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