The Coming of Age (La Vieillesse) is a 1970 book by the French existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir, in which the author seeks greater understanding of the perception of elders. [1]
The Coming of Age (La Vieillesse) is a 1970 book by the French existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir, in which the author seeks greater understanding of the perception of elders. [1]
The book is a study spanning a thousand years and a variety of different nations and cultures to provide a clear and alarming picture of "Society's secret shame"—the separation and distance from our communities that the old must suffer and endure. The questions raised on the book are: what do the words elderly, old, and aged really mean? How are they used by society, and how in turn do they define the generation that we are taught to respect and love but instead castigate and avoid? Most importantly, how is our treatment of this generation a reflection of our society's values and priorities?
"De Beauvoir has separated the book into two parts. The first half is a look from the outside in. How society and its citizens view old age, ranging from how families treat their elders to the views of old age by the philosophers and literary giants throughout the years. She breaks down the influences by particular philosophers and shows how these influences settled on the human psyche and are imbedded in the 70’s society. The second part of the book is a look from the inside out. Life through the eyes of a senior citizen, from poor to wealthy as well as famous to unknown, de Beauvoir examines the myths and realities of life as an old person in the developed world, and presents proof that despite societies' expectations, the elderly still feel the same passions as their younger counterparts. De Beauvoir addresses and challenges critically, societies' marginalization and neglect of its senior citizen population, and challenges the reader to change his or her future."
The book was first published in Paris by Éditions Gallimard under the title La Vieillesse in 1970. The English translation was made by André Deutsch, Weidenfeld and Nicolson and G. P. Putnam's Sons in Great Britain, 1972.
Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic. He was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism and phenomenology, and one of the leading figures in 20th-century French philosophy and Marxism. His work has also influenced sociology, critical theory, post-colonial theory, and literary studies, and continues to influence these disciplines.
Simone Lucie Ernestine Marie Bertrand de Beauvoir was a French writer, intellectual, existentialist philosopher, political activist, feminist and social theorist. Though she did not consider herself a philosopher, she had a significant influence on both feminist existentialism and feminist theory.
Alfred Leslie Rowse was a British historian and author, best known for his work on Elizabethan England.
Old age refers to ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings, and is thus the end of the human life cycle. Terms and euphemisms include old people, the elderly, seniors, senior citizens, older adults, and the elders.
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Émile-Auguste Chartier, commonly known as Alain, was a French philosopher, journalist, and pacifist. He adopted his pseudonym in homage to the 15th-century Norman poet Alain Chartier.
Existential humanism is humanism that validates the human subject as struggling for self-knowledge and self-responsibility.
Elderly care, or simply eldercare, is the fulfillment of the special needs and requirements that are unique to senior citizens. This broad term encompasses such services as assisted living, adult day care, long term care, nursing homes, hospice care, and home care. Because of the wide variety of elderly care found nationally, as well as differentiating cultural perspectives on elderly citizens, it cannot be limited to any one practice. For example, many countries in Asia use government-established elderly care quite infrequently, preferring the traditional methods of being cared for by younger generations of family members.
Dame Marina Sarah Warner, is an English novelist, short story writer, historian and mythographer. She is known for her many non-fiction books relating to feminism and myth. She has written for many publications, including The London Review of Books, the New Statesman, Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph and Vogue. She has been a visiting professor, given lectures and taught on the faculties of many universities.
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights for women. Existentialism is a philosophical and cultural movement which holds that the starting point of philosophical thinking must be the individual and the experiences of the individual, that moral thinking and scientific thinking together are not sufficient for understanding all of human existence, and, therefore, that a further set of categories, governed by the norm of authenticity, is necessary to understand human existence. This philosophy analyzes relationships between the individual and things, or other human beings, and how they limit or condition choice.
Coming of age is a young person's formal transition from adolescence to adulthood.
Stanisław Andrzejewski was a Polish-British sociologist. He is known for his indictment of the "pretentious nebulous verbosity" endemic in the modern social sciences in his classic work Social Sciences as Sorcery (1972).
La Boutique fantasque, also known as The Magic Toyshop or The Fantastic Toyshop, is a ballet in one act conceived by Léonide Massine, who devised the choreography for a libretto written with the artist André Derain, a pioneer of Fauvism. Derain also designed the décor and costumes for the ballet. Ottorino Respighi wrote the music based on piano pieces by Gioachino Rossini. Its world premiere was at the Alhambra Theatre in London on 5 June 1919, performed by Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes.
Nancy Bauer is an American philosopher specializing in feminist philosophy, existentialism and phenomenology, and the work of Simone de Beauvoir. She was recently Chair of the Philosophy Department at Tufts University and is currently Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor of Philosophy as well as the Dean of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts. Her interests include methodology in philosophy, feminism, metaphysics, social/political/moral philosophy, philosophy of language, phenomenology, and philosophy in film.
HelpAge India is an Indian organization focused on the concerns of elders. Established in 1978, its mission is “to work for the cause and care of disadvantaged older persons and to improve their quality of life”. HelpAge advocates for their needs such as, for Universal Pension, quality healthcare, action against Elder Abuse and many more at the national, state and societal level, with the Central and State governments. It runs various Agecare programs to service elder needs. The aim is to serve disadvantaged elders in a holistic manner, enabling them to live active, dignified and healthier lives.
Ageless computing refers to a section of user experience design focused around designing computer software for the elderly. This type of software addresses age specific challenges, and allows for easier interaction with computers as we age.
Penelope Deutscher is a professor of philosophy at Northwestern University whose work focuses on French philosophy from the 20th and 21st centuries and gender theory. She has written four books dealing with subjects ranging from gender and feminism to the works of Jacques Derrida, Luce Irigaray, and Simone de Beauvoir. In 2002-3, Deutscher also served as the Lane Professor for the Humanities at the Alice Berline Kaplan Center for the Humanities at Northwestern University.
Ageing studies is a field of theoretically, politically, and empirically engaged cultural analysis that was developed by scholars from many different disciplines. Over the past fifteen years the field of ageing studies has flourished, with a growing number of scholars paying attention to the cultural implications of population ageing.
Djamila Bouhirete is a former militant from the Algerian National Liberation Front. She was arrested in 1960 for attempting to bomb a cafe in Algiers. Her confession, which was obtained by means of torture and rape, and her subsequent trial affected French public opinion about the methods used by the French army in Algeria after publicity by Simone de Beauvoir and Gisèle Halimi. Boupacha was sentenced to death on June 29, 1961, but was given amnesty under the Evian Accords and later freed on 21 April 1962.
The World Senior Citizen's Day is celebrated on the 21st of August each year. It was first proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 14, 1990.