Personhood, Identity and Care in Advanced Old Age

by Paul Higgs, Chris Gilleard

Overview

How do we sustain agency and identity amidst the frailty of advanced old age? What role does care play in this process? Pushing forward new sociological theory, this book explores the theoretical and practical issues raised by age and infirmity. It begins with a theoretical examination of the fourth age, interrogating notions of agency, identity and personhood, as well as the impact of frailty, abjection and ‘othering’. It then applies this analysis to issues of care. Exploring our collective hopes and fears concerning old age and the ends of people’s lives, this is essential reading on one of the biggest social issues of our time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781447319092
Publisher:	Policy Press
Publication date:	10/05/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	358 KB

About the Author

Paul Higgs is Professor of the Sociology of Ageing at University College London. He has published widely on the changing nature of later life and is a co-editor of the journal 'Social Theory and Health'. Paul is also a fellow of both the Academy of Social Sciences and the Gerontological Society of America. Chris Gilleard is Visiting Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Social&Policy Sciences at the University of Bath and the Division of Psychiatry at UCL. He has published in the areas of psychology, medicine, history and sociology as they relate to ageing and old age. He is also a fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences.

Table of Contents

Preface vi

1 Old age and the fourth age paradigm 1

2 Interrogating personhood 11

3 Agency, identity and personhood in the social sciences 27

4 Frailty 45

5 Understanding abjection 57

6 The moral imperative of care 73

7 Care work 93

8 Care without limits 111

9 Conclusion 127

References 139

Index 173

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Offers a critical reflection on the central scientific, practitioner and policy perspectives on the oldest old, and as such addresses one of the key social issues of our time." Kevin McKee, Dalarna University, Sweden

"Addresses in a frank, confronting and yet respectful way, the dilemmas faced by all people dealing with advanced old age." Carolien Smits, Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands

Editorial Reviews

"Offers a critical reflection on the central scientific, practitioner and policy perspectives on the oldest old, and as such addresses one of the key social issues of our time."

Kevin McKee