Constructions of Women’s Age at the Workplace

A woman is seldom perceived as ageless, but is habitually categorized and assessed according to her age. Age-specific expectations exist for her body, her behaviour, and her way of living. In an economic context, these social norms concerning age and ageing have important consequences for women. They affect the way positions, salaries and career options are distributed. What is noticeable, however, is that a woman’s age is always held against her: A woman is too young for leadership, too unreliable to be promoted, too old to be retained in the company’s workforce. From quite different perspectives, constructions of women’s age at the workplace are discussed in this volume.