Liat Ayalon - Böcker

The ambition of ageing science to discover the golden fleece of longevity and health is closely connected to the concept of 'successful ageing'. Still, for a large portion of the population, frailty and cognitive impairment is the reality of ageing, and it is by no means certain if health promotion, prevention and other interventions will reduce the probability of its occurrence.This book argues that a narrow understanding of 'successful ageing' as good health, full functioning, and active participation in society excludes a large portion of ageing individuals from the quest for a good life in old age. The challenge is that the term 'successful ageing' comes with ambitions but also with ambivalence. On the one hand, it counteracts the deficit view of ageing and facilitates visionary thinking on what might be possible in the future. On the other hand, its implicitly ageist and derogative features have negative consequences to older people and society at large. So, what is successful ageing? We provide answers at three levels: First, we synthesise the various models used to define successful ageing into a heuristic scheme able to unravel the normative complexity and differences inherent in existing models. Second, we anchor successful ageing models in a tripartite way at micro (individual), meso, and macro analytic levels of human development. Third, we argue that the usefulness of successful ageing in guiding policy will only profit from the concept, if it follows a pluralistic and holistic view without hastily deciding for one model only.

Ageism, defined as stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination based on age, is a pervasive phenomenon across individuals, settings, historical periods, and cultures. To address the universality of ageism, we explore three main questions: (a) Does ageism happen throughout the course of a person's life? (b) Does ageism permeate all spheres of life? (c) Does ageism exist all around the world? We conclude that although ageism is universal, there are substantial variations in its definition, manifestations, and impact over time and in different sociocultural contexts. The variability identified suggests that we cannot use a one-size-fits-all approach to conceptualize or target ageism, but instead we should adopt a personalized approach, which considers the sociocultural context, the personal attributes of the targets and agents of ageism, and the normative framework concerning ageism at the global and local levels. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Ageism, defined as stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination based on age, is a pervasive phenomenon across individuals, settings, historical periods, and cultures. To address the universality of ageism, we explore three main questions: (a) Does ageism happen throughout the course of a person's life? (b) Does ageism permeate all spheres of life? (c) Does ageism exist all around the world? We conclude that although ageism is universal, there are substantial variations in its definition, manifestations, and impact over time and in different sociocultural contexts. The variability identified suggests that we cannot use a one-size-fits-all approach to conceptualize or target ageism, but instead we should adopt a personalized approach, which considers the sociocultural context, the personal attributes of the targets and agents of ageism, and the normative framework concerning ageism at the global and local levels. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Available open access digitally under a CC-BY-NC-ND license.Climate change is transforming the lives of older people, who face increased risks from extreme heat, climate-related disasters, air pollution and shifting disease patterns. This groundbreaking volume examines why older adults are disproportionately affected and how these vulnerabilities intersect with social, economic and health inequalities. The book also moves beyond vulnerability, showcasing older people as active contributors to climate change activism and resilience. Bringing together international research spanning gerontology, public health, anthropology and urban planning, the book maps the rapidly developing field of ageing and climate change and outlines practical pathways for building age-inclusive climate responses.

This open access book provides a comprehensive perspective on the concept of ageism, its origins, the manifestation and consequences of ageism, as well as ways to respond to and research ageism.