Towards a new narrative on successful ageing

The major task of this closing chapter is to strive for reconciliation between the very divergent positions and perspectives on successful ageing that have been outlined in this book. The building blocks enabling at least partial reconciliation are the emphasis of the need for pluralism in conceptual reasoning on the notion of successful ageing; the insistence that one must be aware of the full implications of choosing any particular model of successful ageing; and the claim that the discourse on successful ageing can only, to a limited extent, be driven by empirical data. Instead, illuminating the underlying normative conceptions of what it means to enjoy a good life in old age is key to arrive at a more holistic picture of successful ageing that comes with heuristic utility. At the same time, visions of the good life in old age need further elaboration, but remaining ambivalences seem unavoidable.

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Excluded from the Good Life? An Ethical Approach to Conceptions of Active Ageing

Social Inclusion ◽

10.17645/si.v7i3.1918 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 44-53 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Larissa Pfaller ◽

Mark Schweda

Keyword(s):

Old Age ◽

Good Life ◽

Point Of View ◽

Active Ageing ◽

The Good Life ◽

Social Discrimination ◽

Ethical Point ◽

Normative Content ◽

Blind Spots ◽

Policy Discourses

Contesting previous deficit-oriented models of ageing by focusing on the resources and potential of older people, concepts of ‘successful’, ‘productive’, and ‘active ageing’ permeate social policy discourses and agendas in ageing societies. They not only represent descriptive categories capturing the changing realities of later phases of life, but also involve positive visions and prescriptive claims regarding old age. However, the evaluative and normative content of these visions and claims is hardly ever explicitly acknowledged, let alone theoretically discussed and justified. Therefore, such conceptions of ‘ageing well’ have been criticised for promoting biased policies that privilege or simply impose particular practices and lifestyles. This appears problematic as it can obstruct or even effectively foreclose equal chances of leading a good life at old age. Against this backdrop, our contribution aims to discuss current conceptions of active ageing from an ethical point of view. Starting from an analysis of policy discourses and their critique, we first examine the moral implications of prominent conceptions of active ageing, focusing on evaluative and normative premises. By employing philosophical approaches, we analyse these premises in light of a eudemonistic ethics of good life at old age and detect fixations, shortcomings, and blind spots. Finally, we discuss consequences for ethically informed active ageing research and policies, highlighting the interrelations between one-sided ideals of ageing well and social discrimination and exclusion.

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Radically Ordinary Lives: Young Rural Stayers and the Ingredients of the Good Life in Finnish Lapland

Young ◽

10.1177/11033088211064685 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 110330882110646

Author(s):

Ria-Maria Adams ◽

Teresa Komu

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Good Life ◽

Leisure Activities ◽

Building Blocks ◽

General Tendency ◽

The Good Life ◽

Career Plans ◽

Home Town ◽

Finnish Lapland

This article focuses on young people who, despite the general tendency towards youth outmigration in rural areas, have decided to stay in their home town. We explore the agency of young, conscious stayers, as well as the process of staying in the northern Finnish town of Kemijärvi. The stayers’ values and perceptions of the constituents of a good life could be taken as an alternative to the prevailing Western ideal that emphasizes mobility and ambitious educational and career plans, and is, in part, driving young people to leave their rural hometowns. The stayers in this study are active participants in their own fate and are content with their choice of staying. Applying ethnographic methods, we undertake to learn what rural stayers consider the building blocks of a good life in a small-town setting, one offering comparatively limited options in terms of jobs, education and leisure activities.

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Successful Aging

10.1093/med/9780192897534.001.0001 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Clemens Tesch-Romer ◽

Hans-Werner Wahl ◽

Suresh Rattan ◽

Liat Ayalon

Keyword(s):

Old Age ◽

Successful Aging ◽

Good Life ◽

Good Health ◽

The Body ◽

Worth Living ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Successful Ageing ◽

Life Worth Living ◽

The One

Biological ageing is a progressive decline in physiological functionality, and an increase in the chances of chronic diseases and death. Ageing of the body sets in and happens progressively, exponentially and intrinsically in the period beyond the naturally evolved essential lifespan of a species. Ageing science has searched for the factors securing longevity in good health. An end to this quest is not foreseeable. For a large number, 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. 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. Hence, the term is highly ambivalent. 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 ageist and derogative features have negative consequences. Striving for a good life in old age should be inclusive, acknowledging different forms and pathways of ageing. Conceptions of life worth living up to very old age can vary widely, and may include good health and functioning, and also life satisfaction, wisdom, supporting environments, and good care. The discussion on successful ageing needs a multifaceted and pluralistic spirit of discourse, which aims to integrate different models of life-course development into a new narrative of successful ageing.

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