How to Cite

Introduction. Old Age before Modernity, in Neumann, Christian Alexander (Ed.): Old Age before Modernity: Case Studies and Methodological Perspectives, 500 BC ‒ 1700 AD, Heidelberg: Heidelberg University Publishing, 2023 (Online-Schriften des DHI Rom. Neue Reihe: Pubblicazioni online del DHI Roma. Nuova serie, Volume 8), p. 1–30. https://doi.org/10.17885/heiup.1086.c14930

Identifiers (Book)

ISBN 978-3-96822-173-1 (PDF)
ISBN 978-3-96822-174-8 (Hardcover)
ISBN 978-3-96822-175-5 (Softcover)

Published

02/23/2023

Authors

Christian Alexander Neumann

Introduction. Old Age before Modernity

Abstract Old age represents a complex and multifaceted topic that can be analysed from various disciplinary perspectives concerning both the past and the present. To better understand ageing and old age in premodern times, one first has to consider our present time. Due to fundamental demographic, social, political, economic and technological changes from the late 19th century onwards, mainly differences in ageing and old age, but also continuities become evident. After reflecting on the present time, the development of historical research concerning old age and of the strongly related topics of the ages of man and generational research is described. This volume also aims at integrating these still too separate lines. In the third part, a brief overview of gerontology with respect to its development and the current state of multi- and interdisciplinary research is provided. As more interdisciplinary entanglement between gerontology and the humanities would be desirable, the contributions from the field of gerontology – the psychology of ageing, social gerontology and cultural gerontology – collected here offer theoretical and methodological reflections with regard to the humanities and historical studies in particular. The articles from several humanistic disciplines intend to offer historical empirical evidence for the three perspectives mentioned.  Furthermore, questions of intergenerational relationships are treated in each section.