Ageing in Africa Sociolinguistic and Anthropological Approaches
Produktdetaljer
Biografisk notat
Sinfree Makoni, Long Island University, New York, USA Koen Stroeken, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium’The contributions to this volume demonstrate the acutely ambivalent position of elderliness in postcolonial society. Lying at the very heart of globalizing, monetarizing and nation-building pressures in Africa south of the Sahara, social relations between elders and youth have undergone radical changes in the last decades. In its richly detailed, multidisciplinary approach, the volume not only shows how diverse the outcomes have been in different societies on the continent, but also poignantly elicits the current resilience of 'elderhood' in offering contemporary strategies to cope with societal crises. This skilfully compiled work is an important contribution to the emerging field of African gerontology and should be of major interest to both scholars and policy makers concerned with Africa and its prospects. This volume vividly portrays the shifting roles and experiences of the elderly, both male and female, in Africa south of the Sahara. Stimulating and accessible reading for anyone interested in the spectrum of specificities and continuities of the elderly in the increasingly divided or wounded local worlds of entangled modernities.’ Professor René Devisch, Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium ’Anyone engaged in the struggle to improve the quality of life for elder persons or the search for a deeper understanding of ageing would find this book an enriching addition to gerontological and Africanist scholarship.’ Canadian Journal on Ageing