FROM ‘ACTIVE’ TO ‘PRECARIOUS’ AGEING: GLOBALIZATION AND THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE LIFE COURSE

Ideas relating to ‘successful’ and ‘active’ ageing have become firmly embedded in research and policy over the past decade. The idea of ‘active ageing’ has been especially prominent in shaping policies towards older people, with a strong emphasis on the link between activity, labor force participation and health and well-being. However, this approach has run alongside the impact of declining social protection and rising levels of social inequality. This paper examines the tension between theories that emphasise productivity and participation on the one side, and a political economy promoting new forms of risk on the other. The paper explores the extent to which the concept of ‘precariousness’ can provide a framework to address the reality of unequal access to the ideals of ‘successful aging’ and the benefits of longevity. The paper provides an assessment of the policy implications of re-framing ageing from ‘active’ and ‘successful’ to ‘precarious’ and ‘insecure’.