Minerva Center Minerva Center on Intersectionality in Aging (MCIA)

Building bridges between multiple marginalized older adults and mainstream society

University of Haifa (established 2019)

Fields of Research

The Minerva Center is developing interdisciplinary and comprehensive cutting-edge knowledge by

• examining intersectionality and multiple marginalization processes in old age
• developing knowledge related to overcoming inequality and other social barriers
• By developing models of social, psychological and political intervention, ranging from education and social activism involving the participation of the marginalized groups themselves

These themes are adressed along several dimensions:

• The physical and mental health dimension, including the impact of health on quality of life in old age
• The socio-cultural dimension, including prejudice, stigma and societal attitudes
• The legal dimension, concerning the needs, legal rights and human rights of older people
• The individual-psychological dimension, relating to closure, the disclosing of secrets, self-value and value within the family,
  which enable respectful closure of the life course
• The lifelong effect of vulnerability and resilience

Research work is done by developing interdisciplinary research topics from the life experiences of the above-mentioned populations, with a focus on intersectionality, suggesting two directions: the development of empirical and theoretical knowledge; and practical implementation. Given the need to examine cross-cultural similarities and differences of the acquired knowledge, and given the relevance of the issues raised for other cultures, a cross-cultural comparative component is added by developing collaborations with German colleagues.