Centre for Policy on Ageing



A Foucauldian assessment of China and aging
Author(s)	Jason L Powell
Journal title	Hallym International Journal of Aging, vol 8, no 2, 2006
Pages	pp 83-94
Source	http://baywood.com
Keywords	Ageing process ; Sociology, Social Science ; Government ; Theory ; China.
Annotation	In the 21st century, China has a growing "super-ageing" population. This has been historically analysed by environmental social science methodology as a question of resource allocation to a burgeoning ageing population. However, population policies in China have emerged as key vehicles used to legitimise and position the identities that older people adopt. They contain specific yet continually changing technologies that function to mediate relations between older people and the Chinese state. They also represent an increase in state control that can be exerted on lifestyles in family form and older age and thus, the wider social meanings associated with that part of society and life-course. This article summarises the context of super-ageing in China, and presents at original theoretical analysis based on a critical reading of the works of Michel Foucault. The interrelationship between the Chinese government and older people is identified in terms of Foucault's (1978) and Rose and Miller's (1992) concept of governmentality. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-080407207 A
Classmark	BG: S: VJA: 4D: 7DC
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.