Normative representations of aging in French public communication: A discourse analysis across levels of public action

OBJECTIVES: In France, population aging has prompted renewed public strategies addressing later life across multiple levels of public action. This study examines how aging is represented in institutional public communication targeting older adults. Drawing on a discourse-theoretical approach informed by the concept of governmentality, it analyzes how public authorities construct normative representations of aging and delineate socially valued roles and expectations. METHODS: A qualitative content analysis informed by discourse theory was conducted on a corpus of 120 public-sector communication materials collected between 2023 and 2024 at municipal, county, regional, and national levels. Textual and visual elements were analyzed as discursive practices. Quantitative lexical and descriptive analyses (chi-square and Z-score test, p < 0.05) were used to identify patterned variations across levels of public action. RESULTS: The analysis revealed systematic variations in terminology and discursive techniques across institutional levels. Municipal materials predominantly addressed "seniors" and emphasized activity and participation, whereas national-level materials more frequently referred to "retirees" within administrative and legal frameworks. Across the corpus, aging was predominantly framed through health-related and preventive registers, reflecting the medicalization of later life. Six recurring normative figures were identified: the active, responsible, consumer, citizen, wise, and vulnerable older adult, each associated with differentiated expectations regarding autonomy, engagement, and dependency. DISCUSSION: These findings suggest that public communication plays a key role in structuring normative expectations surrounding aging in France. By emphasizing activity, self-management, and autonomy, institutional discourses reflect broader transformations in the governance of aging and highlight the need for more inclusive representations of later life.