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Aging in Precarious Times: Positive Views on Aging in Middle-Aged Germans with Secure and Insecure Pension Plans

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Abstract

Precariousness, defined as job insecurity and uncertain financial perspectives for retirement, might shape the kind of views that individuals imagine to represent a positive old age. The present study explored and compared positive views on aging in two different categories of middle-aged Germans. Interviews were conducted with middle-aged individuals with secure pension plans (N = 10) and without secure pension plans (N = 10) in order to explore positive views of old age and the differences that emerge depending on the assumed future security. Findings reveal that positive views comprise more than a desire to stay young and that wisdom and social roles such as being a grandparent are still considered desirable in old age. Positive views on aging reflect the ideals of the new aging discourse, with an emphasis on agency, flexibility and engagement, thus placing at risk those who do not manage to fit the standards. They also reflect the current individualistic culture with its strong focus on autonomy in old age. Differences and similarities between social groups are discussed with a view on implications for promoting positive aging.

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Acknowledgments

The first author of the study was awarded an Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship that made the study possible.

Conflict of interest

Authors Catrinel Craciun, Paul Gellert and Uwe Flick declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Ethical Treatment of Experimental Subjects (Animal and Human)

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education and Psychology, Department of Qualitative Social and Educational Research, Free University Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195, Berlin, Germany

    Catrinel Craciun & Uwe Flick

  2. Charité – CC1 – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Paul Gellert

  3. Jacobs University Bremen, Bremen, Germany

    Catrinel Craciun

  4. Babes-Bolayi University, Cluj Napoca, Romania

    Catrinel Craciun

Authors
  1. Catrinel Craciun
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  2. Paul Gellert
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  3. Uwe Flick
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Correspondence to Catrinel Craciun.

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Craciun, C., Gellert, P. & Flick, U. Aging in Precarious Times: Positive Views on Aging in Middle-Aged Germans with Secure and Insecure Pension Plans. Ageing Int 40, 201–218 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12126-015-9223-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12126-015-9223-5

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