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As with other socially categorized groups of people, the elderly do not escape being stereotyped by the more dominant groups in society. Old age is often perceived as a less significant stage of life after the peak of adulthood, one that represents decline from full physical, social, and linguistic competence. A question that presents itself is whether such stereotypical perceptions of the elderly are consistent with their actual lives and linguistic behavior. I consider this question by examining naturally occurring, informal peer conversations among the elderly, a type of conversational data that has rarely been studied. I focus on such conversations by elderly Japanese women, comparing the content and the manner of their conversations with commonly held perceptions about elderly women and their verbal behavior, such as the images of being depressed, submissive, and unconcerned about physical attractiveness. The examination reveals that the elderly women in the present study do not display such images; in fact, they can be lively and humorous even when presenting painful experiences, and they exhibit an image of being independent and conscious of their physical appearance.
Examinations of verbal presentations by elderly speakers among their peer acquaintances provide an insight into an aspect of their lives that is rarely available to younger people. The observations obtained here, it is hoped, will lead to a better understanding of social situations in which older people are placed and of their patterns of communication, and ultimately to a decrease of misunderstanding in intergenerational communication.
