The Third Age and the Baby Boomers
This paper outlines two contrasting positions in interpreting contemporary change in later life. These are summarily represented by a cohort approach that focuses upon the baby boomers and a generational approach that focuses upon the third age. We argue that understanding the role of the sixties’ c...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Linköping University Electronic Press
2008-04-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Ageing and Later Life |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journal.ep.liu.se/IJAL/article/view/1168 |
| _version_ | 1818492656092708864 |
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| author | Chris Gilleard Paul Higgs |
| author_facet | Chris Gilleard Paul Higgs |
| author_sort | Chris Gilleard |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper outlines two contrasting positions in interpreting contemporary change in later life. These are summarily represented by a cohort approach that focuses upon the baby boomers and a generational approach that focuses upon the third age. We argue that understanding the role of the sixties’ cultural revolution for the emergence of the third age offers a broader conceptual understanding of the transformation of later life than that provided by the more restrictive and restricting framework of a baby boom cohort. That many people, particularly in the USA, self identify with the term ’baby boomer’ reflects not so much the power of cohorts as structuring influences on the ’conscience collective’ as the role of the market and the media in shaping their social identities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T17:45:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e79497232d554b9da02dd09f517c19c5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1652-8670 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T17:45:58Z |
| publishDate | 2008-04-01 |
| publisher | Linköping University Electronic Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Ageing and Later Life |
| spelling | doaj.art-e79497232d554b9da02dd09f517c19c52022-12-22T01:39:13ZengLinköping University Electronic PressInternational Journal of Ageing and Later Life1652-86702008-04-012210.3384/ijal.1652-8670.072213The Third Age and the Baby BoomersChris Gilleard0Paul Higgs1 Centre for Behavioural and Social Sciences in Medicine, Division of Medicine, University College London, UK Centre for Behavioural and Social Sciences in Medicine, Division of Medicine, University College London, UK This paper outlines two contrasting positions in interpreting contemporary change in later life. These are summarily represented by a cohort approach that focuses upon the baby boomers and a generational approach that focuses upon the third age. We argue that understanding the role of the sixties’ cultural revolution for the emergence of the third age offers a broader conceptual understanding of the transformation of later life than that provided by the more restrictive and restricting framework of a baby boom cohort. That many people, particularly in the USA, self identify with the term ’baby boomer’ reflects not so much the power of cohorts as structuring influences on the ’conscience collective’ as the role of the market and the media in shaping their social identities.https://journal.ep.liu.se/IJAL/article/view/1168CohortGenerationMidlife |
| spellingShingle | Chris Gilleard Paul Higgs The Third Age and the Baby Boomers International Journal of Ageing and Later Life Cohort Generation Midlife |
| title | The Third Age and the Baby Boomers |
| title_full | The Third Age and the Baby Boomers |
| title_fullStr | The Third Age and the Baby Boomers |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Third Age and the Baby Boomers |
| title_short | The Third Age and the Baby Boomers |
| title_sort | third age and the baby boomers |
| topic | Cohort Generation Midlife |
| url | https://journal.ep.liu.se/IJAL/article/view/1168 |
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