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Toward Critical Narrativity: Stories of Ageing in Contemporary Social Policy

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Active Ageing, Active Learning

Part of the book series: Education in the Asia-Pacific Region: Issues, Concerns and Prospects ((EDAP,volume 15))

Abstract

This book includes a critical assessment of “positive ageing” policies, which are becoming increasingly popular in North America and parts of Europe. Trends in UK social policy are used as a case example to draw out guiding narratives, affecting both the public legitimacy and the personal identities that are made available to older people. In particular, the value of work and work-related initiatives is questioned if these artificially restrict socially valued definitions of adult ageing, it is argued that a narrative approach can make explicit elements that are often taken for granted in policy making. It also draws attention to the complex and contradictory nature of the stories that we are encouraged to live by in later life by opening up a critical space between description, intention, and agency. A critical narrativity allows us to interrogate political attempts to fix definitions of later life, which may or may not benefit older people themselves.

Previously published in Journal of Aging Studies (2001), 15: 303–316.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Simon Biggs

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  1. Simon Biggs
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Correspondence to Simon Biggs .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, 4001, Queensland, Australia

    Gillian Boulton-Lewis

  2. The Hong Kong Institute of Education, Tai Po, Hong Kong/PR China

    Maureen Tam

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Biggs, S. (2012). Toward Critical Narrativity: Stories of Ageing in Contemporary Social Policy. In: Boulton-Lewis, G., Tam, M. (eds) Active Ageing, Active Learning. Education in the Asia-Pacific Region: Issues, Concerns and Prospects, vol 15. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2111-1_6

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