Productive Aging: Concepts and Challenges

Old age has been historically thought of as a period of frailty and dependence, yet studies show that with the help of advances in health and medicine, current populations will live longer and remain healthier than previous generations. As average life expectancies rise, traditional concepts of retirement need to be reconsidered on all levels - from government policy to business practice to individual life planning. In this volume, leaders in the field of gerontology explore these changing conditions through the concept of productive ageing, which has been developed by leaders in the field to promote older adults’ contributions to society in social and economic capacities. The book treats the implications of productive ageing for the discipline of gerontology and for society in general. The first section defines the principles, historical perspectives, and conceptual frameworks for productive ageing. The second section takes a disciplinary approach, treating the biomedical, psychological, sociological and economic implications of a more capable older generation. The third section considers advances in theories of gerontology, and the fourth section suggests future directions in practice, theory and research.