Abstract
This chapter explores views on aging that emerge within a precarious social reality. Since the social reality is shared by individuals with precarious jobs and those who still enjoy financial security, the views on aging of the two groups are contrasted and compared. Views on aging are discussed by pointing out that the aging process provides new challenges concerning dealing with risks and facing the insecurities of the precarious social reality. Negative views on aging predominate and comprise fears of aging and the denial of old age. The links between precarity of the body and mind are further analyzed in connection to specific negative views on aging such as representing old age as an illness or desiring agelessness. The concluding section of the chapter deals with the possibility of positive images on aging emerging within a precarious context and illustrates these with examples.
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Crăciun, I.C. (2019). Views on Aging in Precarious and Financially Secure Individuals. In: Positive Aging and Precarity. International Perspectives on Aging, vol 21. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14255-1_6
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