Foreword

Summary

Kathrin Komp and Stina Johansson draw together an edited collection which revisits the central theme of this series: ageing and the lifecourse. Interrogating this theme, they take a critical gerontological perspective on the lifecourse, acknowledging its diversity, fluidity, complexity and connectedness with other phases of life and generations. Given its shifting parameters, ‘some fixed, some malleable’, how this concept is incorporated into policy is difficult, yet the book provides a global snapshot of how this can be accomplished. Ways in which ageing and old age as a category are constructed and structured by the society and culture in which it takes place are illustrated through examples in Europe, China, the US, Canada and Australia. The message throughout the book, conveyed by internationally renowned authors on ageing, is that ageing has to be viewed within the lifecourse framework, if we are to address the health and social care needs of older people and the inequalities of ageing. Population ageing from a lifecourse perspective contributes significantly to the literature on critical gerontology and is a vital resource for academics, students and professionals interested in ageing and later life.