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Australian sociology has wrestled with most of the big issues facing this society; however, when it comes to one of the most significant changes to face Australia in the next 30 years, it has suddenly lost its capacity to engage with the nexus between demography, social processes and political structures. While governments have forged ahead with responsibilization agendas in health, welfare and unemployment, sociology has voiced its concern about the implications for Australia’s most disadvantaged. Yet, when it comes to population ageing, sociology has been, in large part, silent in the face of neoliberal policies of positive ageing, which have framed the ‘problem’ as a deficit that must be managed primarily by individuals and their families. This article maps the field of positive ageing, identifies key social concerns with this policy approach and asks, where is Australian sociology?

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	economic rationalism, social capital, social gerontology, structural ageing
Research Division:	Human Society
Research Group:	Demography
Research Field:	Population trends and policies
Objective Division:	Health
Objective Group:	Specific population health (excl. Indigenous health)
Objective Field:	Health related to ageing
UTAS Author:	Asquith, NL (Professor Nicole Asquith)
ID Code:	61290
Year Published:	2009
Web of Science® Times Cited:	66
Deposited By:	Government
Deposited On:	2010-03-02
Last Modified:	2012-10-09
Downloads:	4 View Download Statistics