Ageing between Gerontology and Biomedicine.

Moreira, Tiago and Palladino, Paolo (2009) Ageing between Gerontology and Biomedicine. BioSocieties, 4 (3). pp. 349-365. ISSN 1745-8560

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Abstract

Over the past two decades, public interest in the basic biological processes underlying the phenomenon of ageing has grown considerably. New developments in biotechnology and health maintenance programmes appear to be forging new relationships between biology, medicine and the lives of older people. A number of social scientists describe the process as the ‘biomedicalization of aging’. In this article, we argue that contemporary biogerontology, an important sub-field of gerontology that could be construed as the primary actor in the process of ‘biomedicalization’, should be regarded instead as advancing a critique of biomedicine. We then provide a genealogy of the critique and close the argument by pointing to sources of uncertainty within biogerontology, which should be taken into account in any further studies of the relationship between biology, medicine and the lives of older people.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
BioSocieties
Additional Information:
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=BIO The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, BioSocieties, 4 (3), pp 349-365 2009, © 2009 Cambridge University Press.
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/researchoutput/libraryofcongress/d1
Subjects:
?? AGEINGBIOLOGYBIOMEDICINEEVOLUTIONGOVERNANCEMEDICINEPUBLIC HEALTHHEALTH POLICYHEALTH(SOCIAL SCIENCE)D HISTORY (GENERAL) ??
ID Code:
32130
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
10 Mar 2010 10:57
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
02 Nov 2023 00:45