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Doron, Israel (Issi); Georgantzi, Nena --- "Introduction: between law, ageing and ageism" [2018] ELECD 1192; in Doron, Israel; Georgantzi, Nena (eds), "Ageing, Ageism and the Law" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2018) 1

Book Title: Ageing, Ageism and the Law

Editor(s): Doron, Israel; Georgantzi, Nena

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN: 9781788972109

Section Title: Introduction: between law, ageing and ageism

Author(s): Doron, Israel (Issi); Georgantzi, Nena

Number of pages: 13

Extract:

Introduction: between law, ageing and ageism Israel (Issi) Doron and Nena Georgantzi PROLOGUE This book is about law, ageing and ageism in Europe. Generally speaking, European countries, as well as the European public media and interest are well aware of the ageing of Europe, the demographic shift it is facing, and the future challenges which are related. Nevertheless, much less attention was given in Europe to the social construction of old age, the prejudices, biases, stigmas and discrimination the older Europeans experience in their daily lives. Moreover, the different European legal systems, for example legislators, judges and lawyers, were mostly unaware of or blind to the fact that older persons have unique legal challenges, and that these challenges are the outcome of the way society treats and constructs old age.
LAW AND AGEING Historically, law ­ meaning lawyers, judges, legislators or the scientific or philosophical (jurisprudential) aspects of the legal body of knowledge ­ was not interested in "ageing" or "older persons" as such (Doron, 2008). Typically, the interface between law and the older population was within the broader context of treating the poor, those who were unable to care for themselves (for example "lunatics" or "idiots"), or in the context of filial responsibility (for example the duty to care for older parents who were not able to care for themselves) (Doron, 1998). Even in more modern times, when law and society started to recognize the significance of "social groups" as the societal way of systematically discriminating (for example based on religion, ...