Politics, power and old age / John A. Vincent.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Vincent, John A., 1947-

Series:

Rethinking ageing series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Older people.

Aging--Social aspects.

Power (Social sciences).

Intergenerational relations.

Physical Description:

164 pages ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Buckingham [England] ; Philadelphia : Open University Press, 1999.

Summary:

Politics, Power and Old Age introduces ideas, dilemmas and controversies about the way that lives of elderly people are shaped by patterns of power. It is about politics in the broadest sense and about old age as a contested part of contemporary social life. John Vincent applies ideas about power and ageism in specific areas such as lifestyles, personal identity, appearance, and intergenerational conflicts as well as pensioners' movements, party politics and elections. He includes original research into the role of age based issues in the 1997 British General Election and research on the social construction and negotiation of identity in old age, and brings together material from a range of British, American and European studies of relevance to the theme of politics and old age. Throughout, he explores global and historical trends in ageing but relates these to personal dilemmas and interpersonal relationships. The book is interdisciplinary, and its challenging ideas will appeal to a broad range of students, academics and professionals with a common interest in ageing and the care and well-being of the elderly.

Contents:

1 Introduction: politics, power and old age 1

2 An overview of old age, politics and power 7

3 Personal politics 20

4 Lifestyles, politics and social movements 34

5 Professions and institutional politics: the medicalization of old age 51

6 National politics 1: party politics and the electoral process 69

7 National politics 2: participation, pressure groups and advocacy 87

8 Generational politics: population change and intergenerational solidarity 103

9 Cultural politics: consumers and consumption 124

10 Conclusion: politics, power, ageism and social gerontology 140.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [147]-158) and index.

ISBN:

0335201660

0335201652

OCLC:

40943389