Who We Are and How Others See Us: Older Adults’ Images and Identities in Chinese News Media

Although old age is an inevitable phase of human development and a natural process of life, the concept of aging is historically constructed from the beliefs, attitudes and cultural values of a given society, meaning that the way the phase is experienced is influenced by culture, which in turn influences how aging is seen (Nogueira et al., 2019). China is a country with increasing aging population. It is therefore necessary to investigate self identities and social images of older adults in China, reflecting self-efficacy and social acceptance of Chinese older adults. This study analyzed age-related reports in Chinese state and local media by appraisal theory (Martin, 2005) to find how age images and identities are constructed and how they interact with each other.