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Positive Aging and Precarity pp 67–88Cite as

Perceptions of the Precarious Life: The Middle-Aged Precariat in Germany

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Part of the book series: International Perspectives on Aging ((Int. Perspect. Aging,volume 21))

Abstract

This chapter explores how precarious middle-aged workers perceive the reality of precarity and their own aging . The chapter starts off with the definition of the precariat provided by Standing (2011) and goes on to analyze the characteristics and importance of the rising aging precariat . In the following, the German aging precariat is described to a larger extent and the features of the middle-aged Germans who took part in the present study are summarized. Key questions such as “how does one become precarious?” and “how can one survive precarity ?” guide the presentation of the research findings. The “precarious identity” of the middle-aged individuals is negotiated between “free choice” and being part of a “surprised generation.” Furthermore, main themes concerning the coping strategies such as the “chameleon self” and “the social activist” are presented to illustrate how individuals adapt to precarity in order to age well.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

    Irina Catrinel Crăciun

  2. Department of Qualitative Social and Educational Research, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Irina Catrinel Crăciun

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Crăciun, I.C. (2019). Perceptions of the Precarious Life: The Middle-Aged Precariat in Germany. In: Positive Aging and Precarity. International Perspectives on Aging, vol 21. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14255-1_5

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