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In the last 15 years, STS has established a research programme focused on the sociotechnical reconfiguration of later life, particularly as new political programmes aim to deploy 'active ageing' in contemporary societies. In Denmark, the bicycle is a key technology in this aim, because of how it articulates sustainable living, health and social participation. Thus, two new 'inclusive cycling' initiatives for older people have been developed. Drawing on ethnographic data, we explore the ways the bikes differ, and how they explicitly mobilise active ageing as a form of 'good old age' in different ways. We argue that whereas 'Cycling without Age' rickshaws attempt to assemble social participation for older people, 'Duo-Bikes' aim to enable capacities through physical activity in later life. We further explore what happens when these two schemes meet, and suggest how searching for a compromise will be necessary to enhance opportunities to cycle in later life.

AbstractThe purpose of this article is to explore social inequity in palliative care in Denmark, a country that is seen as a stronghold of universal health care. Using data stemming from 2 years of research, we have selected two cases for analysis. They consist of palliative conversations with two quite different patients. Drawing on sociocultural class theory, we find that the conversations involve social exclusion processes due to discourses of active ageing. We find that one privileged patient performs in line with an entrepreneurial self and is supported by the nurse. The other, disadvantaged patient performs in a passive way, and the conversation mainly alleviates the disrespect he has experienced in healthcare encounters. We conclude that palliative care reinforces classifying practices and distinctions between "good" and "bad" patients, when active ageing becomes a dominant factor. We suggest improving the quality and sensitivity of medical training and call for increased reflexivity among professionals on the unequal situation of patients in order to reduce inequity in access to health care when close to death.

In the coming years, the share of elderly people in the whole population will strongly increase in all European Union countries. It is therefore necessary to implement a social inclusion strategy targeted towards older people both for economic and social reasons. This strategy needs to include: a substantial postponement of the retirement age, in order to reduce the burden of pensions costs and to increase total employment; an improvement in the physical condition of older workers; the maintenance of a pensioner income level close to working people's incomes; finally, the involvement of retired people in social activities. Finland is a particularly interesting country to consider, because it has succeeded in raising strongly older workers' employment rates and has launched extensive programmes to promote active ageing and to keep older people at work through social partners' involvement and through an improvement of working conditions. This review aims at analysing these programmes. What are their impacts in terms of raising Finnish older workers activity rates and social inclusion? Can they serve as a model for other EU countries facing the same problems?

In the coming years, the share of elderly people in the whole population will strongly increase in all European Union countries. It is therefore necessary to implement a social inclusion strategy targeted towards older people both for economic and social reasons. This strategy needs to include: a substantial postponement of the retirement age, in order to reduce the burden of pensions costs and to increase total employment; an improvement in the physical condition of older workers; the maintenance of a pensioner income level close to working people's incomes; finally, the involvement of retired people in social activities. Finland is a particularly interesting country to consider, because it has succeeded in raising strongly older workers' employment rates and has launched extensive programmes to promote active ageing and to keep older people at work through social partners' involvement and through an improvement of working conditions. This review aims at analysing these programmes. What are their impacts in terms of raising Finnish older workers activity rates and social inclusion? Can they serve as a model for other EU countries facing the same problems?

This editorial serves a double purpose. It introduces the articles and commentary comprising this thematic issue on old-age exclusion, and simultaneously aims to make a concise contribution to the discussion on the relation between agency of older people and old-age exclusion. While indeed it is clear that limitations of agency due to a lack of resources in old age or age discrimination lead to exclusion of older people, the relationship between reduced agency and exclusion is less clear in the case of internalized age norms. It ends with a plea for surveys studying older populations to pay more attention to older people's identities and life goals, opinions and reasons for action.

If some European countries started work on age management long ago, several reports confirmed the urgency and the complexity of age management in France. The low participation of French older workers in the labour market was the result of premature exclusion, within a context of high unemployment and industrial restructuring. Discrimination concerning access to jobs and training persists with regard to older workers. The management of ages is not yet something from which enterprises could expect a return, because of the socio-cultural negative perceptions and image of older workers. Nevertheless, some companies start to implement innovative initiatives and test new solutions for promoting active ageing. This article brings some examples of those experiences and concludes with the necessity to reconciliate "age, work and training" to favour social links and better sharing between generations promoting "aging, living and working well together". ; Le taux de participation faible de la population active des travailleurs âgés en France est le résultat d'une politique de retraite anticipée dans un contexte de chômage important et de restructurations industrielles. Les discriminations concernant l'accès à l'emploi et à la formation des personnels vieillissants persistent. Le management de l'âge n'est pas encore à l'ordre du jour des agendas des entreprises en France en raison de représentations négatives tenaces relatives aux travailleurs de plus de 45 ans. Cependant, un certain nombre d'entreprises commencent à mettre en œuvre des initiatives innovantes et à tester de nouvelles solutions pour promouvoir le travailleur vieillissant. Cet article rend compte d'expériences menées dans des entreprises et de la nécessité de (ré)concilier « âge-travail-formation » pour permettre la création de liens sociaux intergénérationnels et promouvoir « un mieux vieillir, travailler et vivre ensemble ».

If some European countries started work on age management long ago, several reports confirmed the urgency and the complexity of age management in France. The low participation of French older workers in the labour market was the result of premature exclusion, within a context of high unemployment and industrial restructuring. Discrimination concerning access to jobs and training persists with regard to older workers. The management of ages is not yet something from which enterprises could expect a return, because of the socio-cultural negative perceptions and image of older workers. Nevertheless, some companies start to implement innovative initiatives and test new solutions for promoting active ageing. This article brings some examples of those experiences and concludes with the necessity to reconciliate "age, work and training" to favour social links and better sharing between generations promoting "aging, living and working well together". ; Le taux de participation faible de la population active des travailleurs âgés en France est le résultat d'une politique de retraite anticipée dans un contexte de chômage important et de restructurations industrielles. Les discriminations concernant l'accès à l'emploi et à la formation des personnels vieillissants persistent. Le management de l'âge n'est pas encore à l'ordre du jour des agendas des entreprises en France en raison de représentations négatives tenaces relatives aux travailleurs de plus de 45 ans. Cependant, un certain nombre d'entreprises commencent à mettre en œuvre des initiatives innovantes et à tester de nouvelles solutions pour promouvoir le travailleur vieillissant. Cet article rend compte d'expériences menées dans des entreprises et de la nécessité de (ré)concilier « âge-travail-formation » pour permettre la création de liens sociaux intergénérationnels et promouvoir « un mieux vieillir, travailler et vivre ensemble ».

If some European countries started work on age management long ago, several reports confirmed the urgency and the complexity of age management in France. The low participation of French older workers in the labour market was the result of premature exclusion, within a context of high unemployment and industrial restructuring. Discrimination concerning access to jobs and training persists with regard to older workers. The management of ages is not yet something from which enterprises could expect a return, because of the socio-cultural negative perceptions and image of older workers. Nevertheless, some companies start to implement innovative initiatives and test new solutions for promoting active ageing. This article brings some examples of those experiences and concludes with the necessity to reconciliate "age, work and training" to favour social links and better sharing between generations promoting "aging, living and working well together". ; Le taux de participation faible de la population active des travailleurs âgés en France est le résultat d'une politique de retraite anticipée dans un contexte de chômage important et de restructurations industrielles. Les discriminations concernant l'accès à l'emploi et à la formation des personnels vieillissants persistent. Le management de l'âge n'est pas encore à l'ordre du jour des agendas des entreprises en France en raison de représentations négatives tenaces relatives aux travailleurs de plus de 45 ans. Cependant, un certain nombre d'entreprises commencent à mettre en œuvre des initiatives innovantes et à tester de nouvelles solutions pour promouvoir le travailleur vieillissant. Cet article rend compte d'expériences menées dans des entreprises et de la nécessité de (ré)concilier « âge-travail-formation » pour permettre la création de liens sociaux intergénérationnels et promouvoir « un mieux vieillir, travailler et vivre ensemble ».

If some European countries started work on age management long ago, several reports confirmed the urgency and the complexity of age management in France. The low participation of French older workers in the labour market was the result of premature exclusion, within a context of high unemployment and industrial restructuring. Discrimination concerning access to jobs and training persists with regard to older workers. The management of ages is not yet something from which enterprises could expect a return, because of the socio-cultural negative perceptions and image of older workers. Nevertheless, some companies start to implement innovative initiatives and test new solutions for promoting active ageing. This article brings some examples of those experiences and concludes with the necessity to reconciliate "age, work and training" to favour social links and better sharing between generations promoting "aging, living and working well together". ; Le taux de participation faible de la population active des travailleurs âgés en France est le résultat d'une politique de retraite anticipée dans un contexte de chômage important et de restructurations industrielles. Les discriminations concernant l'accès à l'emploi et à la formation des personnels vieillissants persistent. Le management de l'âge n'est pas encore à l'ordre du jour des agendas des entreprises en France en raison de représentations négatives tenaces relatives aux travailleurs de plus de 45 ans. Cependant, un certain nombre d'entreprises commencent à mettre en œuvre des initiatives innovantes et à tester de nouvelles solutions pour promouvoir le travailleur vieillissant. Cet article rend compte d'expériences menées dans des entreprises et de la nécessité de (ré)concilier « âge-travail-formation » pour permettre la création de liens sociaux intergénérationnels et promouvoir « un mieux vieillir, travailler et vivre ensemble ».

If some European countries started work on age management long ago, several reports confirmed the urgency and the complexity of age management in France. The low participation of French older workers in the labour market was the result of premature exclusion, within a context of high unemployment and industrial restructuring. Discrimination concerning access to jobs and training persists with regard to older workers. The management of ages is not yet something from which enterprises could expect a return, because of the socio-cultural negative perceptions and image of older workers. Nevertheless, some companies start to implement innovative initiatives and test new solutions for promoting active ageing. This article brings some examples of those experiences and concludes with the necessity to reconciliate "age, work and training" to favour social links and better sharing between generations promoting "aging, living and working well together". ; Le taux de participation faible de la population active des travailleurs âgés en France est le résultat d'une politique de retraite anticipée dans un contexte de chômage important et de restructurations industrielles. Les discriminations concernant l'accès à l'emploi et à la formation des personnels vieillissants persistent. Le management de l'âge n'est pas encore à l'ordre du jour des agendas des entreprises en France en raison de représentations négatives tenaces relatives aux travailleurs de plus de 45 ans. Cependant, un certain nombre d'entreprises commencent à mettre en œuvre des initiatives innovantes et à tester de nouvelles solutions pour promouvoir le travailleur vieillissant. Cet article rend compte d'expériences menées dans des entreprises et de la nécessité de (ré)concilier « âge-travail-formation » pour permettre la création de liens sociaux intergénérationnels et promouvoir « un mieux vieillir, travailler et vivre ensemble ».

Walker A, Maltby T. Active ageing: A strategic policy solution to demographic ageing in the European UnionThe ageing of European countries has widespread implications for current and future social and economic policies across the region. The major policy response to demographic ageing that has emerged over the past 10 years is called 'active ageing', yet there is little clarity in practice about what it means for individuals and society beyond a crude economic reduction in terms of working longer. The main purposes of this article are to explain why this strategy has emerged and its importance. Despite a great deal of positive political rhetoric, the response at all levels of policy making has been rather limited. An active social and public policy is required to mainstream active ageing as the leading paradigm for ageing policy across the European Union (EU). The designation of 2012 as the European Year of Active Ageing offers a potential focus for renewed policy action in the EU and is discussed in the context of our conclusions.

Dedication -- Foreword -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- Contents -- Notes on Contributors -- List of Figures -- List of Tables -- Part I: The Development of the Law at EU Level -- 1: Setting the Scene: Development of the CJEU Jurisprudence on Age Discrimination in Employment -- 1 Introduction -- 2 European Age Discrimination Legislation -- 2.1 The Preamble -- 2.2 The Provisions -- 3 Development Through the Case Law of the CJEU -- 3.1 A Strong Principle in Mangold -- 3.2 Approval of Compulsory Retirement in Palacios -- 3.3 A Cold Shower? Rosenbladt

Ageing, the most salient policy challenge of the 21st century, can convert into an economic venture. In order to grasp this aspiration, this paper examines the interplay between active ageing and the demand side of the silver economy from both national and the EU perspective. The goal is to configure a combination of policies recommended by the active ageing framework that ameliorates silver consumption. Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) demonstrated that the intersection between higher public health care spending, active social life, achieving employment targets and retirement before or at statutory retirement age constitutes a sufficient combination to exploit the potential of the silver economy. Therefore, the active ageing framework theoretically underpins the silver. However, the argument is not empirically compelling because only a minor proportion of the EU member states have actively engaged in the exploitation of the silver economy potential.

This article raises two questions: first, which active ageing ideas and policies/programmes can be identified in Norway and the UK? Second, do the two countries act differently, and if so why? The analysis is divided into four parts. First, we formulate an institutional framework for analysing active ageing policies. We then briefly map the demographic and social challenges in both Norway and the UK. The third part presents an empirical description of active ageing ideas and policies in the two countries. Finally, the findings are discussed and conclusions drawn. Based on secondary literature and commissioned reports in both countries, country‐specific statistics, interviews with Norwegian key policy actors, and a Norwegian expert panel debate, the article demonstrates that Norway and the UK belong to different types of welfare states and political economies and consequently adhere to and promote different conceptualisations and policies of active ageing. However, the analysis also finds parallel policy positions in terms of an increasing focus on the labour market and activation measures and a stronger normative linkage between contributions and benefits. These policy developments indicate that we also have to take into consideration the diffusion of ideas, ideologies, and policy solutions across national boundaries. In addition, institutional landscapes may change.