Transforming Anxieties of Ageing in Southeastern Europe

Far more than other regions, Southeastern Europe is affected by demographic change. A World Bank publication alluded to ageing as the “third transition”, after the transition to democracy and free-market economy. This is where our international project comes in. Its special focus is on the process of demographic ageing in Southeastern Europe and how this is perceived by politics and the public. One goal is to provide the scientific basis for ensuring that ageing in societies is not seen as a catastrophe, but as part of social change. Likewise, examples of how to deal with it better are to be found, especially through greater social participation of older people as well as a rethinking of immigration policy. The novelty of our project relates to the application of an Ageing Studies framework to an Area Studies approach.

However, we do not want to simply transfer concepts from Ageing Studies with its strong focus on North America and Western Europe to another region. Southeastern Europe’s specific legacies, experiences, concepts, and knowledge production must be reconsidered.