Growing Old in the Middles Ages – “ Winter Clothes us in Shadow and Pain

Abstract

One of the most important changes brought about by technological developments has been the increase in human life. While this has, in the first instance, resulted in us focusing on the matters of health and quality of life, it has also had a big impact on social and demographic changes. Indeed, the activeness of the groups of individuals over the age of 60 or 65 – who we generally perceive as being old – has also changed in line with these developments. Studies on old age are no longer only directed at ensuring a comfortable life to a particular age group, in the medical and physical sense, but also at their visibility within society, the manner in which they are perceived by the other individuals of society and the manner of living and thinking of these individuals, thus being transformed into a comprehensive field. The work entitled, Growing Old in the Middles Ages – “ Winter Clothes us in Shadow and Pain”, written by S. Shahar, looks into the position of the individuals within this age group during the Middle Ages. It evaluates their positions in urban and rural areas and working life, and the approaches of society and the social institutions to the aged, in the light of sources from the Middle Ages. The book begins with the chapter, which is in the form of an introduction, where the scope of the book is assessed, following the Contents [ix] section, which contains the subject headings within the book.

Keywords

• Growing Old,Middles Ages

References

1. Shulamith Shahar, Growing Old in the Middles Ages – “ Winter Clothes us in Shadow and Pain” Translated from Hebrew by Yael Lotan, Routledge, London&New YorkTaylor & Francis e-Library, 2002