Capitalism and the Construction of Old Age

Abstract

Develops a critical account of the position of elderly people in a capitalist society, and analyzes the responses of the state to the emergence of retirement. Emphasizes the impact of social, political, and economic inequalities on the experiences of old age. Examines the construction of old age, both historically and in terms of contemporary economic and social policies in the United Kingdom. Employs a Marxist approach to class and gender to assess aging and retirement from the perspectives of individuals. Explores postwar social policy and the elderly, the elderly and the health and social services, and the politics of aging. Develops a political economy of retirement and old age. Concludes that in many respects inequality and oppression in old age represent the basic weaknesses of social policy and social welfare in a capitalist society. Includes references. (LS) (AgeLine Database, copyright 1990 EBSCO Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved)