Editorial: Assumptions and experiences in language and aging research

Abstract

We begin with the fear of aging, which is pervasive in popular culture but, we suggest, also shapes the questions scholars ask and the assumptions we bring to language and aging research. The scholarly literature seems to associate the concept of aging with negatively valenced terms (e.g., fear, decline), suggesting that research may unintentionally reinforce negative narratives about aging. While understanding negative outcomes of aging is clearly important, focusing on them too much risks creating a feedback loop. We also draw attention to how “unmarked” norms in language research (e.g., who counts as the typical speaker) shift over time and reflect broader social assumptions. Inspired by Pierre Nora’s concept of ego-histoire, we argue that scholars working at the intersection of language and aging should explicitly acknowledge how personal experiences and expectations inform their research questions and interpretations. We encourage authors submitting to the Journal of Language and Aging Research to include such reflexive insights, which can enrich the scholarly record and support more nuanced, context-sensitive understandings of language and aging research.