Chapter 1: No future? Age and ageing in the "ageing society" -- Chapter 2: Procedure and Data Basis -- Chapter 3: Views on Ageing -- Chapter 4: Future action and ageing preparation -- Chapter 5: Time structures of aging: Acting old age between everyday abundance of time and biographical time poverty -- Chapter 6: Age(ing) as Future - Future of Age(ing).

Open Access

Contemporary societies are aging – but what does that mean? Is this something bad? And can societies age as a whole? By bringing together psychological, gerontological, and sociological findings, this open access book opens up a hitherto unique, multifaceted, and realistic view of the phenomenon of old age and the process of aging. The volume is based on the results of the project “Ageing as Future”, a long-term project network (2007-2021) involving a total of more than 30 scientists worldwide. The focus of the project was threefold: A first issue was concerned with how views on aging influence development in old age; secondly, the project analyzed determinants and consequences of provision for old age; and thirdly, it investigated the different ways in which aging is shaped by managing time in old age. For more than a decade, the authors conducted quantitative and qualitative studies, involving large samples from three different continents. The results show that one-sided views of old age – whether negative stereotypes or positive exaggerations – do not do justice to the complexity of the experience of aging. Based on these results, the authors plead for individual and societal acceptance of the social fact of aging – and for the right to live an autonomous and dignified life in old age just as in other phases of life. Ageing as Future: A study by the Volkswagen Foundation presents findings from a unique large international study that are of interest to aging researchers around the world: academically, socio-politically, practically, and personally. Whether old or young, the book encourages one to question one's own views of aging. When reading this book, it becomes obvious that old age is a highly diverse experience, depending on a host of societal and individual factors. .

Accessibility summary: This PDF does not fully comply with PDF/UA standards, but does feature limited screen reader support, described non-text content (images, graphs), bookmarks for easy navigation and searchable, selectable text. Users of assistive technologies may experience difficulty navigating or interpreting content in this document. We recognize the importance of accessibility, and we welcome queries about accessibility for any of our products. If you have a question or an access need, please get in touch with us at accessibilitysupport@springernature.com.

No reading system accessibility options actively disabled

Publisher contact for further accessibility information: accessibilitysupport@springernature.com