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This article explores several strands of ideas and tropes about age and aging that were articulated by a new and entrepreneurial rank of social experts in India. These social experts, attempted to explain the rapid changes transforming a newly independent nation. The knowledge and narratives generated by these Indian social experts and administrators will be explored in this work at specific historical conjunctures, beginning with the 1940's when labor experts expressed anxieties about labor unrest, productivity and the breakdown of workers families; after Indian independence in the late 1940's-1950's amongst efforts to map, survey and regulate refugees and finally, by tracing discussions amongst Indian psychiatrists and social workers regarding the psychosocial pressures of climate and environment that were affecting various age groups in India in the 1950–60's.This work suggests that unlike in welfare debates in the west in the 1940–50's where aging began to be viewed as a social question and distinct social problem by itself, in India it was confounded with the lack of family, changing generational roles rather than as a distinct chronological stage and problem. Some of the key questions that inform this article are: How and why did age and aging begin to be viewed as risks that were associated with the failures of family life? How did age centered identities become more visible and begin to represent critical interests relating to productivity and socio-political control in these decades, and finally, how did social elites project these ideas and arguments? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Research on the ways in which work, health, and aging are connected in Russia shows that productive activities continue for most people after they officially retire, and that perceptions of health and well-being are related to levels of education and to involvement in interesting social activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental expectations about the companionship and assistance they will receive in later life from their children are key considerations in family formation decisions. We explore patterns of parents' investment and the support and contact they receive from adult children in Egypt, where fertility is falling and sources of support at all life stages are in flux. Using data from a survey of older adults in Ismailia governorate, we consider parents' past investments in childbearing, child survival, and children's education and marriage, as well as recent assistance to adult children via housing, care for grandchildren, gifts, and money. The returns from children considered include economic assistance, instrumental support, and visits. Most parental investments are associated with frequent visits from children. The assistance children provide to parents is gendered: sons tend to provide economic transfers, whereas daughters tend to provide instrumental help. A greater number of surviving children is most strongly associated with parents' receipt of multiple types of later-life returns. Investments in children's education and marriage are not associated with assistance, but recent assistance to children-especially economic transfers and provision of housing-is associated with receiving instrumental assistance from adult children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is part of the issue's roundtable discussion of the books "The Victorians and Old Age," by Karen Chase, and "Women Writers and Old Age in Great Britain, 1750-1850," by Devoney Looser, and their focus on the relationship between old age and British culture. The author is primarily concerned with the social implications of the aging process itself, as well as the effects of old age on the lives of female British writers. The implications of old age and the aging process in general on a person's class are also discussed.

The article is part of the journal's roundtable discussion responding to the books "The Victorians and Old Age," by Karen Chase, and "Women Writers and Old Age in Great Britain, 1750-1850," by Devoney Looser, which both analyze the relationship between old age and Great Britain's Victorian-era culture. The present article is mainly concerned with an analysis of understandings of old age in Victorian fiction. Aging is also discussed as an integral aspect of social standing along with class, race, and gender.

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In the interdisciplinary course, Aging to Infancy: A Life Course Retrospective, the Institute of Medicine's recommendations for education were embraced through the role modeling provided by faculty both across and between disciplines. Over the five years since its creation, the course has introduced students to aging in a positive manner, establishing the foundation for higher level courses within each program's curriculum. The course also introduces students to the interdisciplinary healthcare team and reinforces the need for practitioners who value the interdisciplinary approach and expect it in their place of work. These are best practices for an interdisciplinary course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asian countries are experiencing demographic transition from a young to an increasingly older population. The ageing of populations is unfolding against a context often characterised by persistent poverty, gender vulnerability, economic strain, constricted public resources, and limited civil institutions to support the elderly. Two key interlinked dimensions are important: first, how social and economic changes have affected or will affect the well-being and support situation of present or future older people, and how older people's needs and position in society relate to development and the consequences for policy. The paper identifies the gaps that exist in our understanding of ageing in Asian developing countries and discusses the key issues, tensions and perspectives that characterise current debates at local level and their implications for development in many Asian developing and some transitional countries. The paper urges recognition of ageing and development as part of poverty reduction strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has identified population aging as one of the most important challenges facing OECD countries and has highlighted the need for people to work longer and for job prospects for older workers to be enhanced. This article provides a summary review of a recent OECD report, Ageing and Employment Policies—Live Longer, Work Longer, as a platform to highlight differences between countries in demographic profiles and projections and in patterns of formal labor market participation among older workers. Drawing on selected information from a broader evidence base, it unveils important differences between countries in the scale of demographic and associated labor market challenges. It also explores factors affecting labor market transitions among older workers and age-related and other barriers to paid work among older people, emphasizing the diversity of experience between individuals. Finally, it highlights some strategic challenges for policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The promotion of independence is a dominant theme in policy on old age and is also a principle used to guide social work practice with older people. This qualitative study of older people's experiences of independence reveals that independence is a complex notion with a variety of meanings. In-depth interviews with older Australians elicited five main discourses on independence: doing things alone; making one's own decisions; physical and mental capacity; having resources; social standing and self-esteem. Whilst the goal of independence was strongly upheld by the older people, negative experiences associated with independence were also revealed. Based on the experiences of these older people, the findings of this study offer insights for social workers prepared to move beyond individualistic interpretations of independence and promote socially inclusive independence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines three kinds of social relationship likely to be present when people with dementia are cared for at home by relatives or friends: custodial care, an intimate relationship, and home-life. Using Goffman's three defining aspects of custodial care - routinisation, surveillance and mortification of the self- the paper examines whether these characterised the care of people with dementia at home and, if so, whether they conflicted with the intimate relationship and with home-life. The study involved sustained observations and interviews with 20 people with dementia and their carers in and around London, and qualitative analysis of the data. It was found that all three aspects of custodial care were present although not fully realised, and that they led to difficulties, many of which were associated with the concurrent pursuit of an intimate relationship and home-life. In all cases, daily life was routinised partly to help accomplish care tasks but was found monotonous, while surveillance was usual but restrictive, and prevented both the carers and those with dementia from doing things that they wished to do. Those with dementia were distressed by the denial of their former identities, such as car-driver or home-maker, and by being treated like children. Both the carers and the people with dementia had various ways of balancing custodial care, their intimate relationships and home-life, such as combining routines with other activities, evading surveillance or carrying it out by indirect means, and there were many attempts to maintain some semblance of former identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ageing of Australia's 5.5 million baby boomers (born 1946–1965) will significantly change Australian society, yet it is unclear what is known about the expectations and plans of this cohort for their retirement and old age. This paper provides a first step by reviewing the Australian literature, focusing on the areas of health, housing, work and income, and responsibility. Information from the peer-reviewed literature and the Internet published during 1996–2005 was reviewed. One hundred ninety-five Australian references were retrieved, of which only 94 were relevant. The review identified that, despite agreement about the significance of baby boomer's ageing, empirical work directly addressing the research topics was rare. In particular, there was little coverage of baby boomers’ ascription of responsibility for their welfare in older age. If policies are to be effective, empirical research obtaining information directly from baby boomers is required to fill the gaps identified through this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Literary texts are cultural artifacts revealing a society's values and attitudes; reading literature about elders and old age can change readers' ageist attitudes. Beginning with these assumptions, I discuss ways of teaching cross-cultural aging in undergraduate literature courses, using Chilean texts paired with American texts. Students learn how old age is socially constructed and how writers can either reinforce or challenge negative societal stereotypes of elders. Chilean texts reveal Chileans' respect and affection by associating elders with nature and ascribing to them otherworldly wisdom. American texts respectfully depict elders connected to nature, but not as transcending the earthly. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The gist of this paper is that the financial problems of pensions arise not only from the ageing of the population but also from the progressive reduction of the retirement age. It shows that social security systems explain in part such a reduction and indicates why reforms encounter so many political obstacles even though they would benefit most retirees, particularly those with few resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents views concerning the issue of ageing as a third world problem. Importance of quantifying the extent and relevance of ageing as a public health problem in the context of developing countries; Effect of the absence of clear strategies and policies; Recommendations to augment the lives of the elderly.

Addresses the fact that as people live longer they are able to contribute longer. The assistance they are to their families and communities; The need to study early retirement and its impact on society; The examples of vital elderly people.

Considers the commonly negative predisposition felt by older people when they are asked if they are `still walking,' and `still interested in politics.' The still syndrome as omnipresent in their lives; The western world not revering youth.