European University Institute Library

Rethinking old age, theorising the fourth age, Paul Higgs and Chris Gilleard

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 139-172) and index

charts

index present

non fiction

Rethinking old age

bibliography

912117424

Paul Higgs and Chris Gilleard

theorising the fourth age

With the aspiration for a long life now achievable for many individuals, the status of old age as a distinct social position has become problematic. In this radical re-examination of the nature of old age, Paul Higgs and Chris Gilleard reveal the emergence of a 'fourth age' that embodies the most feared and marginalised aspects of old age, conceptually linked to and yet distinct from traditional models of old age. Inspired by the authors' ground-breaking work on the third and fourth age and supported by extensive sociological, medical and historical research, Rethinking Old Age offers a unique and timely analysis of the fourth age as a 'social imaginary' that is shaped and maintained by the social, cultural and political discourses and practices that divide later life. It stands as a significant resource for students, academics and practitioners of Sociology, Ageing Studies, Gerontology, Social Policy, Health Studies, Social Work and Nursing.--, Provided by publisher

1. The Idea of a Fourth Age -- 2. The Shadow of Long-term Care -- 3. Demographic and Epidemiological Aspects of the Fourth Age -- 4. Frailty and the Fourth Age -- 5. Abjection and the Fourth Age -- 6. Care and the Moral Identity of the Fourth Age -- 7. Bridges and Barriers between the Third and the Fourth Age -- 8. Fashioning a Future for Fourth Age Studies