CALC takes a life course approach, understanding that both causal factors resulting in illness or other experiences of inequality and disadvantage in later life - and the interventions that can ameliorate them - appear earlier in the life course. Mid-life in particular constitutes a critical stage, but conditions in childhood and adolescence also underpin events and experiences later in life. Our focus is intersectional and interdisciplinary as we explore (older) age and ageing from the perspective of gender, sexuality, ethnicity, socio-economic demographics, chronic illness, disability, and place.
Led by social scientists, our members' disciplinary backgrounds cover a wide variety of disciplines including: arts and the humanities, public health, clinical medicine, and biological science. In true interdisciplinary fashion, we strive to address questions of concern to age and ageing by employing the most appropriate mix of theoretical and practical frameworks.
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Our membership encompasses a broad mix of established experts in their field to early career researchers. Bringing these colleagues together aims to provide a vibrant intellectual home for age studies researchers, which in turn fosters long-lasting collaborations and cutting-edge scholarship, as well as offering mentorship and support at all levels of career progression.
The Centre for Ageing and the Life Course's strategic partnership with McMaster University facilitates knowledge exchange across this research area. McMaster is ranked in the top 100 universities in the world, so is a prestigious partner for the University on a global scale.
As a collective, we are uniquely placed to answer funding calls as they arise, and in the long-term we have the ambitious plan of submitting a six-year programme grant application to the UKRI Economic and Social Research Council.
We welcome membership applications from scholars pursuing single-issue research with a focus on ageing. Find out how you can get involved.
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