Personhood, Identity and Care in Advanced Old Age

Download or read book Personhood, Identity and Care in Advanced Old Age written by Higgs, Paul and published by Policy Press. This book was released on 2016-10-05 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do we sustain agency and identity amidst the frailty of advanced old age? What role does care play in this process? Pushing forward new sociological theory, this book explores the theoretical and practical issues raised by age and infirmity. It begins with a theoretical examination of the fourth age, interrogating notions of agency, identity and personhood, as well as the impact of frailty, abjection and ‘othering’. It then applies this analysis to issues of care. Exploring our collective hopes and fears concerning old age and the ends of people’s lives, this is essential reading on one of the biggest social issues of our time.