Rethinking Old Age: Theorising the Fourth Age

By Chris Gilleard and Paul Higgs

Book Overview

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.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1137383984
• ISBN13: 9781137383983
• Release Date: May 2015
• Publisher: Red Globe Press
• Length: 184 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.4" x 8.4"