WORKSHOPS ABOUT OLDER PEOPLE WITH ADOLESCENTS
Download PdfDon’t Forget Me: Can We Help People with Dementia?
Marta Gort carried out a short study with secondary school pupils from Lleida about their perception of their grandparents. This took place between March and May of 2020 and had to be done online due to the Covid-19 situation. The subject of ageing was used to inspire poetry and the pupils dedicated a tanka (a traditional Japanese form of poetry) to their grandparents.
Ageing superheroes... Really?
Katerina Valentová spoke to adolescents from different secondary schools with the aim of dispelling certain myths and stereotypes related to superhero comics.
Both male and female protagonists of the comics, reproduce not only gender stereotypes, but also, through their apparent immortality and invincibility contribute to the negative vision of old age, relating it to weakness and decline. An ageing superhero sounds like a paradox, it is not what a superhero would represent. Despite attempts by both DC and Marvel to introduce ageing superheroes, they fail, because they do not break out of the stereotypes established in society.
Taking into account the symbolic charge of the superhero costume that represents strength and empowerment, Katerina Valentová gave some examples of popular culture where it is successfully used, challenging stereotypes and offering a positive and original image of old age. One of these examples is photographer Bard Yarmosky's art project entitled "Wintered Fields" where the author pays homage to his grandmother suffering from Alzheimer's.