Transformations' in' the' age'profile'of' a'population' are' a'
response' to' political' and' economic' structures' and' in' relation' to'
public'services'older'people'become'a'burden'to'the'younger'work)
ing'people.'The'construction'of'a'social'problem'in'relation'to'popu)
lation' ageing' becomes' a' social' pedagogical' problem' involving' a'
focus' on' social' pedagogical' interventions' throughout' the' life'
course.'In'order'to'shape'the'future'of'society,'the'perspective'on'
ageing'and'old'age'has'shifted'from'being'a'determined'process'to'
becoming' a'modifiable' process' focusing' on' the' processes' of' opti)
mizing'and'realizing'people’s'potentials'lifelong.'Active'and'healthy'
ageing' unfolds' the' cure' to' the' social' problem' of' contemporary'
ageing'societies'in'order'to'make'tomorrows'life'in'old'age'better'
than' it' is' today.' The' pedagogical' issues' relate' to' the' normative'
approaches' to' the' content'of' ‘a'good' life’'and' takes' its'departure'
from'the'embodiment'of'the'neo)liberal'principles'of'containing'the'
costs'of'eldercare'and'maximizing'individual'effort'and'responsibil)
ity' for'managing' risks' of' diseases' and' decline' even' death' in' later'
life.'
This'paper'will'discuss'the'implications'of'the'pedagogicalization'of'
ageing' within' the' framework' of' a' Vision' Paper' from' EU:' “More'
Years,' Better' Lives:' The' Potential' Challenges' of' Demographic'
Change”,'February'2011.'Disciplining'the'knowledge'production'of'
ageing'is'a'way'of'controlling'the'processes'of'subjectification'in'old'
age'as'the'socialization'of'an'ageing'person'in'relation'to'the'disci)
plining' of' population' ageing:' becoming' a' subject' to' active' and'
healthy'ageing.'The'future'of'ageing'societies'depends'on'the'plas)
ticity' of' the' individual' performance' underlying' people’s' personal'
responsibility'for'their'unsuccessful'ageing'that'manifests'in'having'
health'problems'in'later'life,'because'successful'ageing'would'have'
been'within'their'reach'had'they'maintained'a'high'level'of'physical'
activity.' PerformAge/ is' a'new' concept,'which'makes' it'possible' to'
unfold' the' different' facets' of' the' phenomenon' of' individual' and'
societal'ageing'as'a'temporal'and'spatial'theorising'of'ageing:'aged'
by'cultural'age'performativities.'