Alter(n), Ambivalenz und Mimikry

Abstract

This essay aims to show that the concept of ambivalence could prove especially productive for gerontology. It is known that age(ing) is a category that is characterized by difference and at the same time delineates a process. Ambivalence is eminently suitable for capturing this duality as it enables us to take into account the dynamics peculiar to age(ing) and move beyond those conventional rigid distinctions which fail to grasp key nuances. These theoretical considerations will be put to the test by looking at the so-called young-old and their ambivalent positioning as well as their own mimicry of the middle-agers.