ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the importance of inter-connections between the ‘global’ and the ‘local’ in re-shaping later life. Older people experience a range of global, national, regional and local forces that influence the construction of later life. These introduce both continuities and discontinuities in old age, reflected in a widening of pathways and options that might be constructed through the life course. Globalization provides a fresh way of thinking about the environment in which ageing takes place and the relationships and lifestyles characteristic of this period in the life course. To examine this view the chapter will be divided into three main sections: first, a definition of globalization will be provided along with a summary of its implications for everyday life; second, links between the ‘global’ and ‘local’ dimensions of ageing will be examined through the perspective of understanding the role of place and urban development; third, specific examples will be used to illustrate changing constructions of age through the interaction between global and local networks.
