New thoughts on the theory of disengagement

Cumming, Marianne E.

doi:10.1007/978-3-662-38534-0_1

Cited by 67 publications

(63 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…This needs some clarification. M. Elaine Cumming (1971) proposed the theory of disengagement while exploring the sociological patterns in the behaviours of the elderly. She states that the process of aging is accompanied by 'mutual withdrawal' between the aging person and other individuals within a community.…”

Section: Antim Aranya and The Nature Of Reminiscencementioning

confidence: 99%

Old Age and Nostalgia in Nirmal Verma’s Fictions

Veetil¹

2017

rupkatha

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This article explores the theme of old age and attempts to understand whether nostalgia can be understood without reducing it to revivalism. Using Nirmal Verma's novel Antim Aranya and his short story "Pichli Garmiyon Mein", the article shows that Verma uses several literary techniques in order to suspend time and evoke contemplation albeit without providing any prescriptive conclusions. Furthermore, contemplation along with nostalgia is never presented by Verma as an attempt to recreate the past. On the contrary, nostalgia presented through old age acts as a critique of modernity and its interpretation of progress. Therefore, Verma's writings can be seen as an ethical stance against a future and goal-oriented framework, which alienates individuals from all generations.

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Section: Antim Aranya and The Nature Of Reminiscencementioning

confidence: 99%

Old Age and Nostalgia in Nirmal Verma’s Fictions

Veetil¹

2017

rupkatha

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“…Since retirement is addressed at the institutional level, the theories of 'acquiescent functionalism' of the early gerontologists expressed in certain micro theories like disengagement, continuity and activity theories are inconvenient as they ignore structural forces that affect retirement (Cumming, 1963;W. T. Donahue & Tibbitts, 1957;Parsons, 1942).…”

Section: Setting the Parametersmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Evolution of Retirement as Systematic Ageism

McDonald

2012

Ageism and Mistreatment of Older Workers

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The Evolution of Retirement as Systematic Ageism Lynn McDonaldQuestions that people ask, when they hear that mandatory retirement has been repealing include: will people be forced to toil longer to stay financially healthy? Will they change careers later in life to keep their interest in a subject or explore new interests? How will working longer affect their health? How will much older people affect the ambitions and working styles of younger colleagues? Will companies have to change their health and benefit plans to accommodate older people? This chapter discusses implications for both individuals and companies about hiring/retaining workers beyond the mandatory retirement age including differences in power relationships that place older workers who love and want to stay in their job in a compromised position. Issues related to international political economy will be addressed.Un certain nombre de questions reviennent souvent, quand les gens entendent que le départ à la retraite obligatoire a été supprimé: Vont-ils être obligés de travailler plus longtemps pour s'assurer de rester en bonne santé financière? Vont-ils devoir changer de carrière plus tard pour maintenir leur intérêt dans leur domaine professionnel ou devrontils explorer de nouveaux intérêts? Comment travailler plus longtemps affectera leur santé? Quelles incidences auront les travailleurs beaucoup plus âgés sur les ambitions et le style de travail de leurs collègues plus jeunes? Est-ce que les entreprises devront modifier leur plan de santé et régimes de retraite pour accueillir les personnes âgées? Ce chapitre examine les implications au niveau des travailleurs et des entreprises sur la politique d'embauche / rétention des travailleurs au-delà de l'âge de la retraite obligatoire, y compris les différences en terme de position de pouvoir qui placent les travailleurs âgés qui aiment et veulent maintenir leur emploi dans une position de compromis. Des questions liées à l'économie politique mondiale seront aussi abordées.

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“…The disengagement theory was the first comprehensive gerontological theory of ageing, tentatively launched by Cumming and associates in 1960, and subsequently developed (Cumming & Henry 1961, Cumming 1963). This theory asserted that people have a "drive" to withdraw from society when they grow old.…”

Section: "The Grand Gerontological Theories"mentioning

confidence: 99%

The paradoxes of gerotranscendence: The theory of gerotranscendence in a cultural gerontological and post-modernist perspective

Thorsen¹

2009

Nor J Epidemiol

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This article presents a theoretical analysis and discussion of the theory of gerotranscendence, formulated by Lars Tornstam (University of Uppsala, Sweden). The theory is presented as a meta-theory of ageing, as a theory of universal and general ageing processes. Ageing is seen as an urge (a drive) towards a less engaged posititon in the wordly life, moving towards a higher degree of transcendence, with a more cosmic outlook and another definition of reality. In this article the theory is discussed from another theoretical position; Ageing seen in a cultural gerontological perspective, as a varied culturally and historically situated phenomenon -differing in different times and different cultures. The theoretical perspective underlines that ageing is complex dialectical processes, an intertwined interplay between individual development and cultural change. The varied individual ageing processes are not seen as the result of «drives». In Western post-modern cultures the ageing processes are becoming manifold, often contradictory. Elderly present versions of the selves that are becoming complex, multiplied (multiple selves), acting at different scenes, stamped by varied cultural values, presenting mixed versions of activity and passivity, engagement and retractment, wordliness and transcendence.

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New thoughts on the theory of disengagement

Cited by 67 publications

References 4 publications

Old Age and Nostalgia in Nirmal Verma’s Fictions

Old Age and Nostalgia in Nirmal Verma’s Fictions

The Evolution of Retirement as Systematic Ageism

The paradoxes of gerotranscendence: The theory of gerotranscendence in a cultural gerontological and post-modernist perspective

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