Article contents
The Elders: A New Generation
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 November 2008
Abstract
Drawing upon evidence from Britain, this paper advances the proposition that new generations of older people are experiencing a healthier, materially better off and more satisfying old age. It is argued that both popular and scientific images of later life are out-dated and unduly negative. In advancing this analysis, attention is given to key areas of personal experience and social life: education, leisure and holidays, retirement, voluntary activity, spirituality, economic status, health and political involvement. A re-construction of the societal position of older people is indicated.
- Type
- Research Article
- Information
- Copyright
- Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1986
References
NOTES
1 Hemming, R. and Kay, J. ‘The future of occupational pension provision in Britain’, in Fogarty, M. (ed.), Retirement Policy: The Next Fifty Years, London, Heinemann, 1982Google Scholar, and in the same volume Ermisch, J., ‘Resources of the elderly: impact of present commitments and established trends’.Google Scholar
2 Sohngen, M.The experience of old age as depicted in contemporary novels. Gerontologist, 17, 1 02, 70–78, 1977.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3 Loughman, C. ‘Novels of senescence’, in Gerontologist, 17 (1977), 1, 79–84, 1977.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4 Halsey, A. H., Sheehan, J. and Vaizey, J. ‘Schools’, in Halsey, A. H. (ed.), Trends in British Society Since 1900. Macmillan, London, 1972.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5 Ibid.
6 Social Trends, no. 12, H.M.S.O., 1982, chart 7.1.Google Scholar
7 Ibid. chart 7.4.
8 Maclure, S.One Hundred Years of London Education, 1870–1970. Allen Lane, London, 1970, p. 104.Google Scholar
9 For an account of the relation of nutrition to skeletal development (and thus to height) see Primary Education (the Hadow Report), H.M.S.O., 1928, appendix III.Google Scholar
10 Rutter, M. and Madge, N.Cycles of Disadvantage. Heinemann, 1976, pp. 50–51.Google Scholar
11 Hole, W. V. and Pountney, M. T.Trends in Population, Housing and Occupancy Rates, 1861–1961. H.M.S.O., 1971.Google Scholar
12 Social Trends, no. 2. H.M.S.O., 1971, table 21.Google Scholar
13 Laslett, P.The World We Have Lost. Methuen, London, 1965, p. 207.Google Scholar
14 Social Trends, no. 2, H.M.S.O., 1971, table 21.Google Scholar
15 Ibid. no. 5, H.M.S.O., 1974, table 52.
16 Ibid. no. 12, H.M.S.O., 1982, table 4.4.
17 Bell, D.The Coming of Post-Industrial Society. A Venture in Social Forecasting. Heinemann, London, 1974.Google Scholar
18 Brown, C. J. F. and Sheriff, T. D., ‘De-industrialisation. Background paper’, in Blackaby, F. (ed.), De-Industrialisation. Heinemann, London, 1979, p. 235.Google Scholar
19 Social Trends, no. 12, H.M.S.O., 1982, table 4.7.Google Scholar
20 Ibid. no. 14, H.M.S.O., 1984, table 11.3.
21 Ibid. no. 10, H.M.S.O., 1980, table 12.3.
22 Ibid. no. 10, H.M.S.O., 1980, table 11.3.
23 Ibid. no. 10, H.M.S.O., 1980, tables 11.3 and 12.3.
24 Fogarty, M. ‘The work option’, in Fogarty, M. (ed.), Retirement Policy: The Next Fifty Years (op. cit).Google Scholar
25 Levinson, D., with Darrow, C. N., Klein, E. B., Levinson, M. H. and McKee, B.The Seasons of a Man's Life. Ballantine, New York, 1978, p. 220.Google Scholar
26 For most muscle groups, maximal strength is achieved between the ages of 25 and 30. By the age of 60 the total loss approximates to 10–20 per cent of the maximum. See de Vries, Herbert A.. ‘Physiology of exercise and aging’, in Woodruff, D. and Birren, J. (eds.), Aging: Scientific Perspectives and Social Issues. Van Nostrand, New York, 1975.Google Scholar
27 Fromm, Erich. To Have or To Be? Abacus, London, 1979.Google Scholar
28 Middlesex Polytechnic. Personal communication, 1985.
29 Council for National Academic Awards. Personal communication, 1985.
30 Universities' Central Council on Admissions. Personal communication, 1985.
31 Morrison, Val. Analysis of Applicants for Undergraduate Study with the Open University in 1985. Open University, Institute of Educational Technology, Milton Keynes, 1985. Duplicated.Google Scholar
32 Clennell, S. (ed.). Older Students in the Open University. Older Students Research Group. Open University, Milton Keynes, 1984.Google Scholar
33 Husen, T. ‘The influence of schooling upon IQ’. Theoria, 17 (1951), 61–68CrossRefGoogle Scholar. His and another study conducted in Swedish cities produced similar results, obtained between the ages of 10 and 20.
34 See ‘The age of reason’, Times Educational Supplement, no. 3623, 6 12 1985Google Scholar, and ‘It's never too late to make a dream come true’, Getting On Newsletter, Central Independent Television, no. 3, 1985.Google Scholar
35 Baltes, P. and Schaie, K. W. ‘Aging and IQ, – the myth of the twilight years. Psychology Today, 03 1974.Google Scholar
36 Botwinnick, J. ‘Intellectual abilities’, in Birren, J. E. and Schaie, K. W. (eds.), Handbook of the Psychology of Aging. Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1977.Google Scholar
37 Rabbitt, P. ‘Changes in problem-solving ability in old age’, in Birren, J. E. and Schaie, K. W. (eds.), op. cit.Google Scholar
38 Lehman, H. C.Age and Achievement. Princeton University Press, 1953.Google Scholar
39 Bruner, J. S., The Relevance of Education. Allen and Unwin, London, 1972Google Scholar. He emphasises the importance of dialogue between the more experienced and the less in providing entry to the culture (pp. 106–107).
40 Whitaker, S.Extra-mural students: a survey. Adult Education, 57 (1984), 220 and 222.Google Scholar
41 Midwinter, E.Age is Opportunity: Education and Older People. Centre for Policy on Ageing, London, 1982, p. 22.Google Scholar
42 Midwinter, E., op. cit. p. 23.Google Scholar
43 Social Trends, no. 12, H.M.S.O., 1982, table 1.2.Google Scholar
44 Midwinter, E. Centre for Policy on Ageing. Personal communication (at 11 1985, actual number was 112).Google Scholar
45 Bell, C.Civilisation. Penguin Books, Harmondsworth, 1938 (first published in 1928), p. 105.Google Scholar
46 Bell, C.op. cit. p. 128.Google Scholar
47 See note 34.
48 Berger, P.Facing Up to Modernity. Penguin Books, Harmondsworth, 1979, p. 111.Google Scholar
49 Currie, R. and Gilbert, A. ‘Religion’, in Halsey, A. H. (ed.), Trends in British Society since 1900Google Scholar
50 Social Trends, no. 12, H.M.S.O., 1982, table 11.8.Google Scholar
51 Currie, R. and Gilbert, A., in Halsey, A. H. (ed.), op. cit. p. 444.Google Scholar
52 Social Trends, no. 12, H.M.S.O., 1982, table 11.7.Google Scholar
53 Berger, P. ‘Religion in a revolutionary society’ (1975), reprinted in P. Berger, op.cit.Google Scholar
54 Gaine, P. ‘Ageing and the spirit’, in Hobman, D. (ed.), The Social Challenge of Ageing. Croom Helm, London, 1978.Google Scholar
55 Tournier, P.Learning to Grow Old. SCM Press, London, 1972, pp. 155 ff.Google Scholar
56 Social Trends, no. 12, H.M.S.O., 1982, table 11.8.Google Scholar
57 Fromm, E., op. cit.Google Scholar
58 Gutman, D. ‘The Cross Cultural Perspective: notes toward a comparative psychology of aging’ in Birren, J. E. and Shaie, K. W. (eds.) Handbook of the Psychology of Aging. Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1977.Google Scholar
59 Ibid. no. 15, H.M.S.O., 1985, table 11.5.
60 Ibid. no. 14, H.M.S.O., 1984, tables 11.4 and 11.6.
61 Ibid. no. 9, H.M.S.O., 1979, table 15.7.
62 Lambert, J., Laslett, P. and Clay, H.The Image of the Elderly on TV. U3A, Cambridge, 1984.Google Scholar
63 Pressey, S. L., ‘In gerontology 57 years – and 85’, in Zarit, S. (ed.), Readings in Aging and Death, Harper and Row, New York, 1977Google Scholar. He refers to longitudinal studies he has made.
64 Rose, R.Electoral Behaviour. Dursion, Free Press Macmillian, New York, 1974.Google Scholar
65 See Midwinter, E., The Wage of Retirement Centre for Policy on Ageing, London, 1985Google Scholar, on the case for changing the concept of the retirement pension.
66 In this connection see Midwinter, E., op. cit., and his ‘The exclusion of elderly people from everyday life’, Administration 32 (1984), 15–36Google Scholar. These argue cogently the case for proper financial support as the basis for a civilised life-style.
67 Johnson, M. L., ‘The implications of greater activity in later life’ in Fogarty, M. (ed.), Retirement Policy: The Next Fifty Years, Heinemann, London 1983.Google Scholar
68 Careful study of the process by which women's opportunities have been enlarged by cogent argument addressed to women as well as men, by research, and by local and central government action, would yield many lessons for the elders. The establishment of the Equal Opportunities Commission is a noteworthy step.
69 See Jones, S., ‘Learning and meta-learning with special reference to education for the elders’, unpublished PhD thesis, University of London, 1983Google Scholar. This assembles some of the evidence of the physical, social, and psychological benefits derived from the changes in self-concept which are based on opportunities to experience a sense of achievement, of competence, and of recognition. Gladys Elder has given a moving account of what it meant to her to be treated as a person on her individual merits rather than as an ‘O.A.P.’, in The Alienated. Growing Old Today, Writers and Readers Publishing Co-operative, London, 1977.Google Scholar
- 1
- Cited by