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The article focuses on how old age may have impacted Southern American slave owners. Topics include the importance of old age within social hierarchies and interpersonal relations, the authority and dominance of slave masters, and how slaves could be used within intergenerational white family conflicts.

Discusses types of community-based physical activity programs for adults age 50 and older in the U.S. Discussion of old age individual behavior in community settings; Suggestions on changing contextual factors affecting individual behavior; Coalitions to address issues in changing community-level factors.

In this article I endeavour to demonstrate how a number of works by like-minded mid-twentieth-century radio practitioners (Robert Pinget’s La Manivelle, Samuel Beckett’s Embers, Harold Pinter’s A Slight Ache, and Tom Stoppard’s Artist Descending a Staircase) thematize old age the better to exploit (or perhaps even parody) radio’s perceived unique ability to foster epistemological scepticism and to enable the conceptualization of fantasies of non-embodiment. I argue that these works do not seek to establish an aural aesthetics of non-embodiment but instead remain explorations of (im)possibilities which are never even fully articulated, much less hankered after or dismissed offhand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of cultural norms on arrangements made for old-age support. Using data from a recent national household survey in China, I show that clan culture is significantly associated with a set of individual values about the purpose of childbearing. I then find that, among older people in rural China, clan culture is positively related to birth rates and the likelihood of having a son, coresidence with adult or married sons, and receiving financial transfers from non-coresident children. Finally, I find a significantly negative relationship between clan culture and enrollment in social pension programs. The overall results indicate that cultural norms have a significant influence on arrangements for old-age support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article combines an inter- and an intra-cohort perspective to study economic vulnerability in old age. The theoretical background is given through the combination of a social stratification framework and an institutional perspective emphasizing life course policies. At the macro level, the increase in overall education levels and the implementation of a pension system were the driving forces of the strong decrease in old age poverty over the last three decades. At an individual level, the pathway from low education early in life to economic hardship after retirement is most prominent, corresponding to a social stratification and cumulative disadvantage view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The health of ageing populations is a real concern across the world so that the concept of active ageing has been advocated as a framework for appropriate educational policies and programmes to support people as they grow older. The other elements discussed here are health and healthy life expectancy (HLE) acknowledging that as people age, they may suffer from a range of chronic illnesses. How strong is the evidence that improving access to, and involvement in later life learning is an effective strategy for improving health and can it help with health problems? Reviewing some of the available evidence, we found that studies are frequently not comparable, that they frequently confuse concepts of health and well-being and do not always demonstrate causal effects. We also question whether later life learning can be successful in reducing lifelong socio-economic inequalities although some targeted interventions are beginning to appear in different countries. We conclude that it is important to rethink attitudes to active ageing if current gains in healthy LE are to continue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global society is facing a new burgeoning element: an ageing population. Response to the educational needs and interests of older adults requires innovative pedagogies and practices of teaching, research, and community engagement. While traditionally geared towards provision for younger adults, the case is presented that universities have the potential to play a major role in innovation for later life learning for older adults. This article outlines one approach, the Age Friendly University (AFU) and highlights 10 principles that offer a possible guide for innovation and institutional change. The integration of AFU’s mission and principles into three universities is reflected in stories from three university cases in Ireland, the UK (Scotland) and the USA exploring potential merits and also major challenges. It is argued the AFU has the potential to bring social, personal and economic benefits to older adults and universities alike. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores some important aspects of the generation of practical knowledge through later life. It is about the relationship between knowledge generation, agency and capability, developed informally through the life experiences in and through the Company of Others. It emphasises how the everyday processes of socialisation create invaluable opportunities to know how to navigate the diverse and complex changes thrown up in the journey through later life. It asks where and how knowhow is generated after workforce participation ceases and pays particular attention to ‘third places’, opportunities in the community that enable social connections beyond the first and second places, home and work, respectively. The empirical and theoretical data come from two main Australian sources amplified by new international research in cognate fields. The first is a study aboutGenerating knowhow in later life. The second derives from insights from research for a book into the origins and nature of the now internationalMen’s Shed Movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlabelled: As social roles in later life are shaped by significant life events and changes occurring in the late-life transition, examining social engagement in midlife may provide a context for interpreting the ageing social identity. This is particularly important for women, who are heavily dependent on social relationships and are more influenced by social losses and change.Objective: To examine major social changes occurring in the decade prior to late-life, starting from approximately 45-55 years of age.Study Design: The study accessed data from the longitudinal prospective Women's Healthy Ageing Project (WHAP). Participants were 493 women who had completed at least one assessment in the first 12 years of the study.Results: Living with a partner was common and stable amongst participants, while the proportion with children still at home decreased markedly (79-44%). Full-time employment also decreased as participants approached the average retirement age (40-13%). Volunteer work was popular throughout the study, increasing slightly with age, and minding grandchildren was common at the end of the study period (80%).Conclusions: Taken together, these findings suggest a notable deficit in participants' social lives as they transition into later life, but with some evidence of compensation by increasing other social activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging populations now exert influence on all aspects of social life. This article examines changes to major social and economic institutions linked with old age, taking the period from the mid-20th century to the opening decades of the 21st century. These developments are set within the context of the influence of globalization as well as the impact of the 2008 financial crisis, these restructuring debates around the longevity revolution. The article examines how the basis for a new framework for accommodating longevity can be built, outlining ways of securing new forms of solidarity in later life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty years of Australian dementia policy brought a previously marginalised group of infirm old people into mainstream aged care. This happened in the context of the interpretation of dementia as a disease process. Dementia advocacy has grown, and perceived problems around state versus federal responsibility in the matter of dementia care, and the integration of health and welfare responses to illness, have been addressed. Advocacy movements have kept dementia in the minds of those in control of the political agenda, and advocates have presented dementia care as a problem of population health rather than aged care. However, the emphasis on dementia as disease tends to categorise those people with the condition as a residual group in terms of health policy. It undermines the possibilities dementia policy has created for fostering a new public understanding of life in infirm old age. For societies dominated by a view of old age as an active period of life such understanding is crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

The article discusses the putative social marginality experienced in old age through referencing the photography of artists Cindy Sherman, Suzy Lake, and Martha Wilson. An overview of the self-representation of older women in photography, including in regard to the role it plays in their marginality and older women's bodies, is provided. An overview of the relationship between feminism and the photography, including in regard to the feminist theories on women's subjection from an oppressive gaze, is also provided.

Copyright of Sozialer Fortschritt is the property of Duncker & Humblot GmbH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Protocols for evaluating social services consider several variables to measure the quality of their services, but not always attaches importance to intercultural competences of social service professionals. Focusing research in the area of residences for seniors this study analyzes the imagery of cultural otherness present in patients and workers, and tries to identify the significant variables that determine and/or influence coexistence and the appearance of conflicts arising from cultural diversity communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Social relationships can have considerable influence on physical and mental well-being in later life, particularly for those in long-term care settings such as assisted living (AL). Research set in AL suggests that other residents are among the most available social contacts and that co-resident relationships can affect life satisfaction, quality of life, and well-being. Functional status is a major factor influencing relationships, yet AL research has not studied in-depth or systematically considered the role it plays in residents' relationships. This study examines the influences of physical and mental function on co-resident relationships in AL and identifies the factors shaping the influence of functional status. We present an analysis of qualitative data collected over a one-year period in two distinct AL settings. Data collection included: participant observation, informal interviews, and formal in-depth interviews with staff, residents, administrators and visitors, as well as surveys with residents. Grounded theory methods guided our data collection and analysis. Our analysis identified the core category, “coming together and pulling apart”, which signifies that functional status is multi-directional, fluid, and operates in different ways in various situations and across time. Key facility- (e.g., admission and retention practices, staff intervention) and resident-level (e.g., personal and situational characteristics) factors shape the influence of functional status on co-resident relationships. Based on our findings, we suggest strategies for promoting positive relationships among residents in AL, including the need to educate staff, families, and residents. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Research Papers of the Wroclaw University of Economics / Prace Naukowe Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego we Wroclawiu is the property of Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny we Wroclawiu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article explores the potential of studying the social dimensions of old age and aged bodies in the past. Because old age is relative to life-expectancy figures, diet and lifestyle, calendric years are avoided when defining old age. Instead a composite approach is advocated that includes, for example, traces of wear and joint diseases to identify a threshold between adulthood and a period of seniority. The approach is applied to the Middle Neolithic burial ground Ajvide on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea. Eleven individuals (six men, five women, or 18 per cent of the 62 analysed burials) are regarded as ‘aged bodies’. At Ajvide a majority of these individuals are buried in graves that overlap earlier burials containing younger individuals of the same sex. It is argued that this pattern is due to eschatological ideas of ‘generational merging’ of bodies. This practice changes over time, which is suggested to be a part of the overall hybridization processes at the site. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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]

Copyright of Napredak is the property of Croatian Pedagogical-Literary Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this article the author presents the outcome of the first 'qualitative' stage of the project 'Old Age in Space: Regeneration, Gentrification and Social Exclusion as New Issues of Environmental Gerontology'. She responds to research questions on how seniors residing in urban centres interpret the town environment, contemporary urban processes, ageing and old age, and how they maintain control over their situation given their state of health, physical performance, financial resources, and the specific spatial resources of urban neighbourhoods (personal strategies). In the article the author briefly sums up the theoretical starting points of the issue, describes the focus and methodology of the research project, and presents the research's findings on changes to urban space, population structure, local social networks and seniors' attachment-to-place. In the conclusion the author highlights the importance of research on old age or the elderly and on the urban environment being open and free of ageist and anti-urbanist tendencies, and she outlines directions of further study in gerontosociology and urban sociology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a discussion on the historical and sociological relations between age and labor in early 20th-century Austria. The author examines the origins of the notion that older people should not or cannot work, relying on census reports and business staffing reports from the late 19th century. Particular attention is paid to changes occurring in the average length of individual employment between 1900 and 2011, increases in the number of self-employed older people, and the emergence of early retirement practices.

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.

Copyright of Papeles de Población is the property of Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Mexico and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista MAD is the property of Revista MAD and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Ardigô's contribution for the development of a full sociological knowledge about elderly condition has been very important. It has embraced several subject areas, often combining the-oretical elaboration with field research and even field-testing. The aim of my paper is to provide a synthetic representation of Ardigô's contribution, by following some guidelines: the analysis of senescence differentiation processes in relation to the broader process of social differentiation; studies and experiments on elderly home care and, more generally, I.C.T.; the exhortation of elderly to a greater civic and political engagement for the construction of our future society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

It is clear that health is influenced by various factors related to the existing cultural, economic, and social conditions such as marital status, educational level, living conditions, quality of life, interpersonal relations, sociability, etc. In particular, all these parameters are more important in vulnerable age groups such as senior citizens. The purpose of this research is to study how older people experience their everyday lives, compared with those in their close and wider environment, in order to understand the wide range of their needs, including the need for support and social contact. Material and method: For this research the sample consisted of 300 individuals (147 men and 153 women) aged 59-98 years (mean age 73.57 years) from the Open Centers for the Elderly of Attica. The collection of data has taken place by using questionnaire, after a personal interview of the researcher. The analysis of the results was done by using the statistical package SPSS 15. Results: The sample was consisted in 51% of women and 49% of men. 57.3% of the respondents stated that they were married. A significant proportion of the sample of this study, 47.7%, indicates that it feels the sense of solitude. A comparison between the feeling of loneliness and sex, shows that women seem to experience loneliness in a more intense way than men. About the social contacts of the respondents, it is shown that women, 32.0%, seem to prefer social relations with their relatives, while 52.4% of men prefer to have a wider social circle. People who declare they feel lonely, are generally older than those who do not feel lonely. The marital status appears to play an important role in loneliness. The greatest percentages of loneliness appear to elderly single people, 71.4%, in those who are separated, 100%, and those who have lost their spouse, 81.7%. About the social relations of the elderly, 44.3% say they have social contacts with relatives, friends and neighbors, while 27% restrain their contacts only to close relative persons.Conclusions: The institution of family is of paramount importance for the elderly. The fact that older people are experiencing intense loneliness, may mean that usually there is not a sufficient support system, including their family and the wider environment. This outpoints the need for measures by the state and all people, in order to cope with an important problem of this age group. [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]

This paper presents a critique of both the concept of age equality and of the limited scope it offers as a means for challenging old-age prejudice. The equality constructs that feature in anti-ageism initiatives and in current discourses on intergenerational equity have proved susceptible to political and ideological manipulation, which has led to the illegitimate dissociation of ageism from older age and promoted damaging notions of age equivalence. The consequence has been that old-age prejudice has been de-prioritised, and older people have been de-legitimised socially and as a welfare constituency. The corrective is best sought outside the confines of age equality frameworks, although legal remedies may play a useful role if human dignity is incorporated as an equality criterion. This paper also assesses other approaches to tackling old-age prejudice that avoid the constraints of equality constructs and engage more firmly with its roots. The notion of the 'third age' with new social roles merits reconsideration as an affordable alternative to current policies of work obligation and pension retrenchment. Radical interventions in the labour market in favour of older people may also be needed. Age activism and advocacy will increasingly influence policy on prejudice and well-being in older age, but changed emphases are needed, as from defensive strategies and the ideologies of generational interdependence and solidarity, towards the promotion of organisational, financial and social autonomy in older age. [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]

Children from the People's Republic of China and from the United States were asked to judge younger and older adults. Children's impression and memory for these adults was examined, along with their ability to use information presented about the adults to judge them. How stable children thought traits were about an adult as that adult ages, and how well children recalled information that was consistent or inconsistent with age stereotypes, was also examined. Additionally, the relationship between children's experiences with older adults, and their views of older adults, was assessed. Although 10-year-old American children were more negative about older adults than other children, 6-and 10-year-old children in both the People's Republic of China and the United States expressed negative views of older adults. However, these negative views, or age stereotypes, were more readily found when the task required a comparison between younger and older adults, even when that comparison was for the same person as a younger and older person. Although children were more positive in their views of the adults following the presentation of positive information, children did not necessarily see these characteristics as being stable, especially if they ran counter to stereotype. This was particularly true for the 6-year-old children. These results are discussed in terms of the formation and counter-formation of age stereotypes in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a detailed assessment of how caregiving affects the caregiver and the couple, with special attention to caring for a partner with dementia and caregiving issues faced by non-traditional couples in the U.S. According to the authors, each type of couple has its own unique features, just as any individual couple has its own mannerisms. However, for all these variations, caregiving provides a common set of challenges and opportunities. Implications of this article to research and practice are presented.

The article provides extensive details about separation, divorce and widowhood in the U.S. It discusses the principal trends related to uncoupling in later life and the main reasons for and consequences of it. It is stated that understanding marital status and familial relationships in late life is significant because these social relationships are crucial sources of well-being in old age. Based on research, the chances of being old and newly single are increasing. The authors opine that the transition to single status in later life is becoming more prevalent life event with increasing life expectancies.

This article reexamines the assumptions of the feminization-of-poverty thesis by investigating the perceptions of Hong Kong Chinese women regarding old age and the women's strategies for dealing with old age and retirement. It challenges the assumptions of a male-centered model of retirement planning and highlights the significance of women's definitions of wealth and poverty. It shows that retirement planning cannot be separated from women's practices of self in the multiple and interrelated domains of their lives by examining how women manage their personal savings or ‘money in the private chamber.’ [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 article discusses the involvement of elderly people in the sphere of employment in order to alleviate the social and economic consequences of the aging of the population. The significance of old age to social functions is increasing because of the conceptualization of continuous education and the development of cognitology that trains people of different ages. Prolonged professional activity helps older people reproduce the social status of the family and society and improve material situation.

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]

Identifies what viewers thought about the ways in which older age is portrayed. Exploration on the viability theme broadcasting targeted at older audiences; Concern of older viewers on the standards of respect; Relationship between the portrayal of older people and the way older people perceived the portrayal.