Manchester expert sheds light on what it means to be middle-aged
A new study by Dr Amy Barron from The University of Manchester鈥檚 Department of Geography is shining a light on a part of life which is often overlooked - middle-age.
While a lot of research focuses on the very young or very old, middle-age - often seen as the longest phase of life - rarely gets much attention. Dr Barron鈥檚 work looks at what middle-age actually means to people living through it, and why it's important to understand this period more fully.
Through interviews with people aged between 52 and 67 from Greater Manchester, the study explored how people define and experience being 鈥渋n the middle鈥� of life. Rather than looking for strict age ranges or one-size-fits-all answers, participants were asked to reflect on their own experiences and how they see themselves.
Many shared that middle-age feels like a time of reflection, transition and sometimes uncertainty. It鈥檚 a phase where people are no longer young, but don鈥檛 yet feel old. Some spoke about feeling 鈥渟tuck鈥� in their careers, or about health issues which made them more aware of their age. Others mentioned enjoying the freedom that comes with no longer having young children to care for, or having more financial stability.
One participant joked that calling herself 鈥渕iddle-aged鈥� would only make sense if she planned to live to 120. Another said middle-age was more about mindset than years, while a third described it as a time to plan for a 鈥済ood鈥� older age, even while resisting the label 鈥渙ld.鈥�
The research encourages people - and especially other researchers - to pay more attention to what happens in the middle of life, and not just focus on 鈥榗hildhood鈥�, 鈥榶outh鈥� and 鈥榦lder age鈥�. Dr Barron suggests we need ways of thinking about ageing that don鈥檛 rely on fixed stages or categories, because life is always in motion, always changing and our lives often don鈥檛 follow a linear path.
She also notes that everyone experiences middle-age differently - life events, family, health, work and even global events like the COVID-19 pandemic all shape how people feel about this time in their lives.
Middle-age isn鈥檛 just a stepping stone between youth and older age - it鈥檚 where a lot of life happens. It鈥檚 full of change, emotion and meaning in its own right, but it is often ignored, reduced to stereotypes, or just assumed to be 鈥榥ormal鈥�. It鈥檚 not just the middle of life 鈥� it deserves attention.
The study, published in journal Social & Cultural Geography, offers important lessons for researchers, policymakers and the public. By listening to how people make sense of their lives, especially during the long stretch of middle-age, we can better support their needs - and challenge the idea that middle-age is boring or unimportant.