aldiskurs

Aldiskurs is a term used in sociolinguistics and gerontology to refer to the discourse surrounding aging and older people. It describes how language constructs, negotiates, and challenges social meanings of age, and how power relations influence who is authorized to speak and which topics are deemed legitimate in discussions about aging. The concept is often discussed within the broader field of Altersdiskurs in German-language scholarship, and aldiskurs may be encountered as a variant or anglicized form.

Etymologically, aldiskurs combines elements meaning old or aging (from al/alter) with diskurs, or discourse. In practice, the term denotes the analyzed production and circulation of statements, narratives, and metaphors about old age across different domains such as media, policy, health, and everyday interaction. The focus is not on individual opinions alone but on the structures that shape collectively shared understandings of what it means to grow old.

Applications and methods. Researchers study aldiskurs to examine how older people are represented in newspapers, television, advertising, and digital media; how retirement, caregiving, and healthcare policies frame aging; and how workplace or intergenerational dialogues reproduce or challenge stereotypes. Methodologically, it often relies on discourse analysis, critical discourse analysis, corpus linguistics, and content analysis of texts and talk.

Significance and scope. Understanding aldiskurs helps illuminate processes of ageism, social inclusion, and the politics of aging. It highlights how cultural, economic, and political contexts influence the language surrounding older adults and how those discourses in turn shape policy, behavior, and identities across societies.

See also: aging, ageism, Alterdiskurs, Altersdiskurs, discourse analysis, gerontology, media representation.