Invecchiamento e diritti sociali: come i saperi sociali stanno ripensando il rapporto tra l’abitare anziano e la soggettività?/Ageing and Social Rights: How are social disciplines rethinking the relationship between Elderly Living and subjectivity?

Abstract

In this paper, we examine the production of social knowledge concerning the processes of aging in contemporary society, with particular attention given to the institutional dynamics of older adults regarding new welfare policies. Starting from the crisis of the Mediterranean model and the limitations of the successful aging paradigm, the paper explores the discourse of social gerontology and the Silver Economy, focusing on both the medicalization of old age and the ambivalence of certain care practices. The entire analysis is framed about the elderly’s right to inhabit the city, acknowledging that urban spaces are not always age-friendly nor fully capable of supporting the life projects of older individuals.

Keywords: Demographic Aging; Ageism; Mediterranean Welfare; Social Gerontology; Right to Housing.