Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book tackles theoretical aspects of ageing and old age: theories of successful ageing, of active ageing or healthy ageing; the narrative turn in social gerontology; cultural theories of ageing denial or gerontophobia inspired by the death denial theories from the field of death studies; theories of archetypes; semiotic theories of visual representation. It explores the viability and limitations of current social and cultural theories of ageing and old age in relation to new social phenomena, such as contemporary gerontophobia or the rise of dementia and discusses the potential of narrative gerontology in the context of growing popularity of narratology in social studies, with an emphasis on its ability to negotiate the meanings and definitions of personhood. The book describes the social and cultural changes in how societies interpret the relationship between people and their milieu.