==== Front
Innov Aging
Innov Aging
innovateage
Innovation in Aging
2399-5300 Oxford University Press US 

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.3045
igaa057.3045
Abstracts
Session 7610 (Symposium)
AcademicSubjects/SOC02600
Resilient Identity: How Aging Matters in Exploring Resilience
Bouchard Lauren 1 Manning Lydia 2 1 
Concordia University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States
2 
Concordia University Chicago, River Forest, Illinois, United States
2020 
16 12 2020 
16 12 2020 
4 Suppl 1 Program Abstracts from The GSA 2020 Annual Scientific Meeting “Turning 75: Why Age Matters”832 832
© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America.2020This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Abstract
Defining resilience is complex given its multidimensional and contextualized nature within the gerontological literature. The construct has been described as a trait, state, and process, and less often, as a cultivated identity. Older adults are key in the understanding of resilience from their own point view as experts of their experiences with adversity. This presentation focuses upon the findings of qualitative research utilizing grounded theory methodology, which explores the way aging may shape “resilient identity.” Given the varying challenges across the life course, resilient identity may be highly dependent on individual and environmental context. This talk also focuses on who determines the definition of resilience as well as the nature of such an identity. Educational implications regarding key factors, management strategies, and protective practices are also discussed.