Emotional socialization and agency: Representations of coping with old age dementia and Alzheimer’s in graphic novels

This research investigates representations of emotion work and emotional labor in caregiving, the medium graphic novels. The study is based on a collection six contemporary novels that discuss relationships between older adults who are suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s their family caregivers professional caretakers. Family caught complicated web new, emerging caregiving roles. We rely thematic content analysis to identify main forms agency, structural constraints trade-offs situations. Emotional agency portrayed as situated, though divergent definitions situations for caretakers patients; it embedded system, which contrastively with procedural, less empathic medical institution, also general mass media portrayal old age. Graphic contribute socialization people anticipating suffering, caring mental disorders associated