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Sociology, Vol. 40, No. 4, 681-698 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/0038038506065154
© 2006 BSA Publications Ltd.

Ageing Contested: Anti-ageing Science and the Cultural Construction of Old Age

John A. Vincent

University of Exeter

Recent developments in the fundamental science of biological ageing have raised the possibility of extending the human lifespan. This article examines contests within bio-gerontology as to the nature of ageing, identifies the methods through which old age is constructed by reference to particular kinds of knowledge and thus considers the impact of the culture of science on the contemporary meaning of old age. Definitions of ageing and death that focus on biological failure lead to a cultural construction of old age whereby diversity across the life course is devalued.

Key Words: anti-ageing medicine • culture • old age • science


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