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Klappentext Haim Hazan is a leading specialist on old age in anthropology! and has published several books on particular communities of old people. The latest book is an essay on the realities of old age! as it is experienced! as opposed to the ideas about the old current in western societies. It argues that the construction of this world by outsiders is inevitably affected by deeply ingrained social attitudes and structures! such as the spatial segregation of the aged as a population! and the fear of death with which they are associated. By approaching the subject from the social constructionist perspective! and by drawing on a variety of detailed ethnographic accounts! the author describes a unique and nuanced social world. This is a sophisticated and original book! which should have a significant impact on a field still dominated by a 'social problems' approach. Zusammenfassung Haim Hazan! a specialist on old age in anthropology! focuses on the reality of the experience of old age as opposed to the stereotyped image. He examines the subject from a social constructionist perspective! drawing on ethnographic accounts to produce a sophisticated and highly original book. Inhaltsverzeichnis Introduction: Towards knowledge of old age; Part I. Representations of Ageing: Languages About Old Age: l. The social trap: the language of separation; 2. The cultural trap: the language of images; 3. The personal trap: the language of self-presentation; 4. The theoretical trap: the missing language; Part II. Presentations of Ageing: Language of the Old: 5. Control: the social boundaries of age; 6. Meaning: the cultural boundaries of life; 7. Another universe: time, space, and self; Conclusion: the nature of knowledge about ageing.
