Defining Successful Aging: Elusive or Illusive? [S-20-18]

What, exactly, does it mean to age well? Though it might initially seem intuitive, this is actually a problem that gerontologists and philosophers have struggled with. This interactive presentation will focus on debates surrounding the idea of “successful aging,” which can be anything from a hopeful reframing of old age to a new form of ageism. We will explore a variety of definitions of successful aging, but the challenges of pinning down just one or a few definitions in our increasingly diverse society have led some researchers to abandon the task entirely.

Clarkson Professor Matt Manierre has a PhD in sociology from the University of Delaware. His dissertation and recent work focused on both the measurement and prediction of successful aging, but he has worked more broadly in the field of medical sociology. He is currently working on research that conceives of success as a long-term pattern of behaviors and characteristics instead of a single state. His work has been published in The Gerontologist, Social Science and Medicine, and Research on Aging.

Cap: 60

Cap: 60