Intersectionality in action: Reflections on decolonizing research practice in the context of care(ing) and age(ing)

Abstract

Building on interviews and reflections, this article combines an explora­tion of the intersection of care(ing) and age(ing) in communities experi­encing rapid diversification and population ageing, and an examination of the research endeavor from intersectional and decolonizing perspectives. Poking holes in conventional research practices provides opportunities for rewriting dominant deficit-based narratives about care(ing) and age(ing) that contribute to gaps in service provision. Adopting alternative ways to developing new knowledge provides pathways to improve well-being among all those involved in care partnerships. The authors argue that positioning the experiences of carers and older adults at the fore of ger­ontology practice and research is essential to decolonized knowledge pro­duction and dissemination. However, in critically examining their own processes, they discovered shortcomings in their research practices that reveal the long reach of colonized methods. In personal reflections, the authors comment on their attempts to put intersectionality into action as decolonized gerontology research.