11. Enjoying Sunset: Successful Ageing and the Grey Nomad Community

Grey nomads, an Australian term for older recreation vehicle travellers, are bound together by a set of common characteristics. This chapter initially identifies a number of issues associated with successful ageing; this discussion provides a somewhat novel perspective on the group’s commonalities and mobility. Next, and as a basis for providing insights at a group level, the authors briefly review both social representations theory and social practice theory as ways to explore the value and significance of the grey nomads’ extended holiday journeys. Studies of the behaviours and attitudes of members of the Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia (CMCA), and its magazine, are used as the empirical basis for the commentary. From multiple data sources, the researchers examine the common concerns of grey nomads, and the language and normative behaviours which build in-group belonging. Both social practice theory and social representation theory, with their power to focus on the commonalities and key guiding metaphors of interacting parties, are employed to help finesse the discussion. Findings support the elements of the positive psychology framework known as PERMA –the acronym summarising the psychological elements of ageing successfully.