Ageing As an Increasing Uncertainty

k 2016

Ageing As an Increasing Uncertainty

GALČANOVÁ, Lucie and Marcela PETROVÁ KAFKOVÁ

Basic information

Original name

Ageing As an Increasing Uncertainty

Authors

GALČANOVÁ, Lucie (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution) and Marcela PETROVÁ KAFKOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Third ISA Forum - The Futures We Want: Global Sociology and the Struggles for a Better World. Vienna, July 10 - 14, 2016, 2016

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Prezentace na konferencích

Field of Study

50000 5. Social Sciences

Country of publisher

Austria

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

RC11 Sociology of Aging - Session 139: The Fourth Age: “Real” Old Age?

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14230/16:00088031

Organization unit

Faculty of Social Studies

Keywords (in Czech)

stárnutí; čtvrtý věk; identita; disabilita; křehkost; agency

Keywords in English

ageing; fourth age; identity; disability; frailty; agency

Změněno: 15/7/2016 22:14, Mgr. Lucie Galčanová Batista, Ph.D.

Abstract

V originále

The fourth age basically embodies all of the common fears of ageing; it brings frailty, helplessness, and loss of autonomy. The combined effects of ageing, illness and disability characteristic of the fourth age change irreversibly a customary way of life and call into question one´s sense of self. In advanced age it is a challenge merely to maintain an acceptable concept of Self, one’s self respect, and a dignified life. The institutional practice, the contact with welfare and health systems, conditioned the fourth age. But the older adults are not passive elements in this process, they actively negotiate and maintain a fragile sense of self in the face of increasing disability and frailty. Personal identity is more a process then an essential status and its nature is relational – thus the ageing self-identity is constantly re-negotiated in the contact with significant others, care providers, institutions or even with one´s own changing body and mind. The preservation or reconstruction of one’s identity thus seems to be a key challenge for the fourth age, since the adaptation mechanisms successful in the third age may fail as one passes into the fourth age. The increasing uncertainty in day-to-day activities is a key characteristic of loss of the agency. It is the gradual loss of mobility, for example, loss of strength in hands, weakening of sight. Our paper is based on the results from the mixed method (secondary analysis of SHARE data and qualitative interviews) research project “The Fourth age: the Identity of Disability during the period of active ageing” focusing on the relational and negotiated nature of self-identity in very old age.

Links

GA15-03156S, research and development project

Name: Čtvrtý věk: identita disability v době aktivního stárnutí

Investor: Czech Science Foundation

Citovat

GALČANOVÁ, Lucie and Marcela PETROVÁ KAFKOVÁ. Ageing As an Increasing Uncertainty. In Third ISA Forum - The Futures We Want: Global Sociology and the Struggles for a Better World. Vienna, July 10 - 14, 2016. 2016.

@proceedings{1349668,
   author = {Galčanová, Lucie and Petrová Kafková, Marcela},
   booktitle = {Third ISA Forum - The Futures We Want: Global Sociology and the Struggles for a Better World. Vienna, July 10 - 14, 2016},
   keywords = {ageing; fourth age; identity; disability; frailty; agency},
   language = {eng},
   title = {Ageing As an Increasing Uncertainty},
   url = {https://isaconf.confex.com/isaconf/forum2016/webprogram/Paper77687.html},
   year = {2016}
}

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AU  - Galčanová, Lucie - Petrová Kafková, Marcela
PY  - 2016
TI  - Ageing As an Increasing Uncertainty
KW  - ageing
KW  - fourth age
KW  - identity
KW  - disability
KW  - frailty
KW  - agency
UR  - https://isaconf.confex.com/isaconf/forum2016/webprogram/Paper77687.html
L2  - https://isaconf.confex.com/isaconf/forum2016/webprogram/Paper77687.html
N2  - The fourth age basically embodies all of the common fears of ageing; it brings frailty, helplessness, and loss of autonomy. The combined effects of ageing, illness and disability characteristic of the fourth age change irreversibly a customary way of life and call into question one´s sense of self. In advanced age it is a challenge merely to maintain an acceptable concept of Self, one’s self respect, and a dignified life. The institutional practice, the contact with welfare and health systems, conditioned the fourth age. But the older adults are not passive elements in this process, they actively negotiate and maintain a fragile sense of self in the face of increasing disability and frailty. Personal identity is more a process then an essential status and its nature is relational – thus the ageing self-identity is constantly re-negotiated in the contact with significant others, care providers, institutions or even with one´s own changing body and mind. The preservation or reconstruction of one’s identity thus seems to be a key challenge for the fourth age, since the adaptation mechanisms successful in the third age may fail as one passes into the fourth age. The increasing uncertainty in day-to-day activities is a key characteristic of loss of the agency. It is the gradual loss of mobility, for example, loss of strength in hands, weakening of sight. Our paper is based on the results from the mixed method (secondary analysis of SHARE data and qualitative interviews) research project “The Fourth age: the Identity of Disability during the period of active ageing” focusing on the relational and negotiated nature of self-identity in very old age.
ER  -

GALČANOVÁ, Lucie and Marcela PETROVÁ KAFKOVÁ. Ageing As an Increasing Uncertainty. In \textit{Third ISA Forum - The Futures We Want: Global Sociology and the Struggles for a Better World. Vienna, July 10 - 14, 2016}. 2016.

Detailed Information on Publication Record