New article by Priscilla Ringrose examines the French media coverage of so called ‘granny’ au pairing.

Researcher identified three key frames: au pairing as glamorous tourism, as reinvention of family, and as a niche in the childcare market. The study argues that the French news broadcast media repackage au pairing as positive ageing while underplaying its status as work. Instead of portraying au pairs as poorly paid workers, it promotes au pairing as “good-life fantasies” and au pairs as active agers, writes Ringrose.

Researcher concludes that media reinforce the idea that activity is what is required of older single women and that they are ought to find their own solutions to the problem of women’s inadequate pensions.

The article is published online by Feminist Media Studies. Read the article here.

Picture: me and nana by jenny818, licence: CC BY 2.0