A taxonomy of successful ageing conceptions

Abstract

The authors propose a taxonomy of successful ageing conceptions organized according to five selected models of successful ageing used in ageing research. The models are rooted—explicitly or implicitly—in philosophical traditions describing a good life. The dominant model in gerontological research, Rowe and Kahn’s model of successful ageing, follows the tradition of American pragmatism, emphasizing practical effects of concepts and ideas. In addition to this model, four additional models of successful ageing are introduced and discussed: hedonic, eudaimonic, capability approach, and care ethics-based, each of them coming from different philosophical schools. The five models are compared according to the following criteria: age relevance, inclusiveness, locus of responsibility, normativity, and measurability. The taxonomy lies the ground for all the arguments that follow in the remainder of the book.