Hosted by The Social Policy and Ageing Research Centre (SPARC) and the Living with Dementia Research Programme (LID), School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin.

Speaker: Prof. Paul Higgs 
Professor of the Sociology of Ageing at University College London
   
Topic: Consumption and later life: Cohorts, generations and the emergence of the Third Age
 
Location: Conference Room, 6th floor, 3, College Green (directions available at reception) 
  
Outline: The consumption patterns of older people are important in understanding social change in 'ageing societies'. The transformation of what were previously seen as 'passive' consumers into 'active' ones is just one dimension of the way in which cohort ageing is wrapped up in generational change. The nature of these changes has also affected our understanding of the circumstances of old age itself, with the emergence of the 'Third Age' challenging approaches such as 'structured.dependency'. This presentation will argue that social gerontology needs to address consumption practices in later life if it is to better understand contemporary ageing. A recent study examining consumption patterns in retired households in Britain between 1968 and 2005 will be used to illustrate these arguments.

If you wish to book a place, please phone 01 896 2914/2442 or email ageing.research@tcd.ie