The New Age of Ageing

Book excerpt: Society does something strange to us as we get old. We are no longer seen as valued participants in the world but marginalized as burdens and problems to be solved. We become the other. This book presents a different vision of the future. Drawing on fifty interviews with people aged fifty to ninety, it proves aging is not simply passive decline but a process of learning, joy, political engagement, challenge, and achievement. For example: Mary, 83, has resisted her children's suggestion to downsize and is fostering two teenage boys. Joseph, 68, fights for the rights of small farmers worldwide. Through their voices and the voices of many others, we come to understand both the difficulties and possibilities of aging. Increased longevity has consequences for us all. By challenging our assumptions and stereotypes, this book proves that a society that takes better account of older people is better for everyone.