Representation of the Social Status of Older Adults in Iranian Cinema

Document Type : Original Article

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Abstract
This study examines how the social status of older adults is represented in Iranian cinema from 2011 to the present. Through its media representations, cinema plays a decisive role in the social construction of aging. Using a qualitative approach, thematic analysis based on Braun and Clarke (2006, 2013) within a constructionist framework, and purposive sampling, twelve Iranian feature films were analyzed. The film selection process unfolded in three stages: first, from among 1,125 films produced during the study period, forty-nine films explicitly addressing the theme of aging were identified; in the second stage, films with insufficient relevance or marginal appearances of older adults were excluded; and in the final stage, twelve films with the highest degree of alignment with the research questions were selected. The findings indicate that representations of older adults in Iranian cinema predominantly fall within the framework of "marginalized aging," which includes four organizing themes: economic marginalization, emotional and familial marginalization, symbolic and identity marginalization, and social marginalization. Deeper analysis reveals that these representations, through specific constructive mechanisms, construct and reproduce marginalization as natural and inevitable. These representations not only offer an incomplete image of older adults but also play an active role in the social construction of aging, contributing to the reproduction of marginalization and isolation of this group in real and objective life. Nevertheless, cinema holds potential to redefine aging and enhance the social status and visibility of older adults through more diverse, active, and participatory narratives; this requires a rethinking of media policies.

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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 23 October 2026

  • Receive Date 26 May 2026
  • Revise Date 17 October 2026
  • Accept Date 23 October 2026
  • First Publish Date 23 October 2026