Rethinking Old Age

"A powerful and original analysis of the fourth age as a category which eludes the clinical diagnoses and categories of social care that seek to capture it. It has relevance well beyond sociology of ageing and social gerontology." - Susan Pickard, Reader in Sociology, University of Liverpool, UK "Higgs and Gilleard bring clarity to a long-neglected and misunderstood issue in social gerontology. I know of no other books that shed such light on the fourth age or that address the issue of frailty from such a sophisticated standpoint." - Markus Schafer, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Toronto, Canada

This insightful re-examination of the nature of old age presents a unique theoretical account of the fourth age as the embodiment of the most feared and marginalized aspects of old age, addressing contemporary society's anxieties and offering opportunities for re-framing conceptions of old age.With the aspiration for a long life now achievable for many individuals, the status of old age as a distinct social position has become problematic. In this radical re-examination of the nature of old age, Paul Higgs and Chris Gilleard reveal the emergence of a 'fourth age' that embodies the most feared and marginalised aspects of old age, conceptually linked to and yet distinct from traditional models of old age. Inspired by the authors' ground-breaking work on the third and fourth age and supported by extensive sociological, medical and historical research, Rethinking Old Age offers a unique and timely analysis of the fourth age as a 'social imaginary' that is shaped and maintained by the social, cultural and political discourses and practices that divide later life. It stands as a significant resource for students, academics and practitioners of sociology, ageing studies, gerontology, social policy, health studies, social work and nursing.