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.
Other formats:   BibTeX LaTeX RIS
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
Original language English
Type of outcome Presentations at conferences
Field of Study 50000 5. Social Sciences
Country of publisher Austria
Confidentiality degree is not subject to a state or trade secret
WWW 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
Changed by Changed by: Mgr. Lucie Galčanová Batista, Ph.D., učo 41048. Changed: 15/7/2016 22:14.
Abstract
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 projectName: Čtvrtý věk: identita disability v době aktivního stárnutí
Investor: Czech Science Foundation
PrintDisplayed: 23/4/2024 08:16