The Gerontologist· 2014Q1· Review
Active and Successful Aging: A European Policy Perspective
- 641citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2014year
Short summary
European policy has increasingly adopted 'active aging' as a response to population aging, presenting a more holistic, life-course approach than 'successful aging'. However, its practical implementation has often been narrowly focused on extending working life and has overlooked gender differences.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Active aging is the dominant European policy response to population aging.
- Active aging is more holistic and life-course oriented than successful aging.
- Practical application of active aging has been narrowly economic, prioritizing extended working lives.
- The current implementation of active aging is gender-blind.
- Active aging has the potential for comprehensive societal and individual responsibility if principles are followed.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Over the past two decades, "active aging" has emerged in Europe as the foremost policy response to the challenges of population aging. This article examines the concept of active aging and how it differs from that of "successful aging." In particular, it shows how active aging presents a more holistic, life course-oriented approach than successful aging. We provide a critical perspective on active aging too by, first, tracing its emergence in Europe and then showing how, in practice, it has been dominated by a narrow economic or productivist perspective that prioritizes the extension of working life. It has also been gender blind. Nonetheless, it is argued that an active aging approach has the potential to enable countries to respond successfully to the challenges of population aging because of its comprehensive focus and emphasis on societal as well as individual responsibility. Finally, we set out the basic principles that need to be followed if the full potential of active aging is to be achieved.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. The Gerontologist, 2014 · DOI ↗
Continue with a free account
Ask the paper: 3 free questions a day about this paper; save it, get its citation, new summaries every day for your field. Takeaways are Premium.
Continue free on the webSign in with Google or Apple; no card needed. You come back to this paper.
On your phone:
Field: Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
Neuropsychology and Physiological PsychologyPsychology