Basics of Theory of the Third Age
What Contributes to Longevity?
In developed countries, the average life expectancy at birth reaches 80 years, and many older adults want eternal youth and health despite their actual age. They dream longevity with perpetual youth and health. Now available and popular are various cosmetics, healthy foods, drinks, and supplements to keep youth or health.
What is youthfulness? Not to mention it is having mind and body in a good condition, such as, retentive memory, sufficient physical strength, and supple skin, until the end of puberty. In contrast, oldness or aging is having mind and body deteriorating after the puberty.
Puberty lasts until the end of one's 20s. Thus, those in contemporary developed countries want to keep their youthfulness for as long as 50 years from age of 30 to 80 under this longevity trend. Naturally, however, no ones can maintain their youthfulness completely for 50 years; they only can retard their aging process.
In developed countries, the human aging process slows more and more thanks to peacefulness, advanced medical science and scientific technology, which all contribute to the average longevity extended. Those in industrial countries are characteristic of not "eternal youth and immortality" but "gradual aging and longevity".
In developing countries or regions, on the contrary, it is uncertain for residents to have food to live tomorrow or even a life due to conflicts, and poor conditions of medical science and scientific technology. Their average life spans are still as short as 30 to 50 years.
Yet, in developed countries with the potential gradual aging and longevity, some elders live longer and healthier without any major physical or mental issues, whereas other seniors suffer from immobility, dementia, or other aging-related problems. In gerontology, the former are third agers, and the latter are fourth agers. These names come from theory of the Third Age. In this theory, one's life comprises four ages, and old age further consists of two ages, the Third Age and the Fourth Age.
The Third Age is literally a third age of a life. Then, why is it called so? For the detail, read the following section "What is the Third Age?"
What is the Third Age?
Peter Laslett (1915-2001), a British historian, established his rather positive aging theory of the Third Age in the 1980s. In Laslett's (1987) theory, one's life comprises four ages, and the culmination is in the Third Age. The phrase Third Age came from French universities, les Universités du Troisième Âge (the Universities of the Third Age), which since the 1970s have offered study opportunities to seniors relatively healthy and active, and entered English-speaking countries (Laslett, 1987).
Laslett (1987) mentioned that the Third Age was generally an era after retirement with health, vigor, and positive attitude to have the Third Age, except for particular cases. He also described that the Third Age emerged in only developed countries with both population aging and excellent economic conditions.
Previously, most researchers tended to conduct their aging studies focused on negative viewpoints, such as decline in mental/physical function. Once Laslett advocated theory of the Third Age, however, his theory prevailed rapidly among developed countries, and researchers conducted positive aging studies (e.g., effects of social activities, including learning, in the Third Age [Saddler, 2006]).
The Third Age is literally a third era in one's life comprising four ages (Laslett, 1987; 1991): the First Age, the Second Age, the Third Age, the Fourth Age. For summaries of characteristics of the respective ages, read the next "Four Ages".
References:
Laslett, P. (1987). The emergence of the Third Age. Ageing and Society, 7. 133-160.
Sadler, W. A. (2006). Changing life options: Uncovering the riches of the Third Age. LLI Review, 1, 11-20.
Four Ages
According to Laslett's (1987, 1991) theory of the Third Age, one's life consists of four ages, and its culmination comes at the Third Age. Those in each age are called first, second, third, or fourth agers, respectively (Carr, 2009). The respective ages have characteristics:
First Age: an era for dependence, socialization, immaturity, and learning
Second Age: an era for independence, maturity, responsibility, and working
Third Age: an era for personal achievement and fulfillment after retirement, and
Fourth Age: an era for the final dependence, decrepitude, and death
In Laslett's (1987, 1991) theory of the Third Age, old age further comprises two ages, the Third and Four Ages. That is, some elders are healthy and thus third agers, whereas others are frail and thus fourth agers.
Erikson's (1959) theory of psychosocial development and Maslow's (1954) hierarchy of needs, for example, also relate to the entire human development. Yet, such past lifespan development theories were from the perspective that people continuously developed to the next stage at each specific age. Thus, unlike Laslett's (1987, 1991) theory, these were insufficient to distinguish some healthy elders from others at a same age having decline in mental/physical function (e.g., having dementia or other aging-related negative disease).
Laslett (1987, 1991) strongly insisted that these four ages did not begin or end at one's birthday or a year having that birthday. With his theory of the Third Age, therefore, it is rationale that a person has each own lifespan; despite the same age, some seniors are healthy and thus in the Third Age, whereas others are frail and thus in the Fourth Age.
When does each age begin or end? Read the next "Beginning and Ending of Four Ages".
References:
Carr, D. (2009). Aging in America: The link between productivity and resources in the Third Age. Ageing International, 34(3), 154-171. doi:10.1007/s12126-009-9041-8
Erikson, Erik H. (1959) Identity and the Life Cycle. New York: International Universities Press.
Laslett, P. (1987). The emergence of the Third Age. Ageing and Society, 7. 133-160.
Laslett, P. (1991). A fresh map of life: The emergence of the Third Age (paperback ed.). London: George Wiedenfield and
Nicholson.
Maslow, A. H. (1954). Motivation and personality. New York: Harper.
Beginning and Ending of the Four Ages
Laslett (1987, 1991) strongly insisted that none of these four ages, from the First Age to the Fourth Age, uniformly began or ended at one's specific birthday or a year having that birthday. That is, the respective Four Ages basically begin (or end) at one's personal choice.
For those who aged 20 years, for instance, some are college students (first agers), but others are already workers (second agers) after their graduation from a high school. Each individual freely chooses and decides when to finish the First Age and to enter the Second Age. Despite individuals' intention, yet, only retirement must meet a specific age requirement (e.g., age of 65 years) in accordance with each country's system to grant a pension (so-called compulsory retirement), and thus the Third Age begins at retirement (Laslett, 1987; 1991).
Meanwhile, for example, some live longer than the average longevity (e.g., age of 90 years) keeping their health (third agers), whereas others pass away (fourth agers) before reaching the average longevity (e.g., age of 50) due to a fatal disease, such as a cancer, unfortunately. However, even the Fourth Age does not always begin automatically at a specific age, but people may retard its beginning with their efforts, including habitual healthy behavior, disease prevention, and early treatment.
Noticing such various life patterns among people, Laslett (1987, 1991) properly insisted that any of the four ages do not began at one's specific birthday or a year having that birthday, but at one's personal choice, except for the Third Age subject to a country's pension scheme.
More specifically, what characteristics do the respective four ages have? For the detailed description of the First Age, read the next section "the First Age".
References:
Laslett, P. (1987). The emergence of the Third Age. Ageing and Society, 7. 133-160.
Laslett, P. (1991). A fresh map of life: The emergence of the Third Age (paperback ed.). London: George Wiedenfield and
Nicholson.
The First Age
The First Age, literally a first era of one's life, refers to a period from the birth through learning term until right before the first employment (Laslett, 1987; 1991). This age requires upbringing by parents (dependence), building and developing social relationships with parents, teachers, and friends (socialization), and learning at schools or college/university, before independence (immaturity).
When the First Age ends differs among persons, depending on their personal choice (Laslett, 1987; 1991). If a person drops out or graduates from an educational institution (an elementary, middle, or high school; college/university; or graduate school) and then is employed, the First Age of that person finishes at the final dropout/graduation. Likewise, the First Age ends at the graduation from a middle school in some cases, while it lasts until the completion of graduation school courses in others. If someone works as a full-timer after graduation from a high school but simultaneously learns at a night school or long-distance education to obtain a bachelor's degree, that person has both First and Second Ages. Thus, Laslett (1987, 1991) strongly insisted that the beginning/ending of each age depended upon one's personal choice.
Generally, the First Age tends shorter for those in developing countries, but longer for those in developed countries. In developing countries many people are poor and thus begin working (the Second Age) soon after the dropout or graduation from an elementary or middle school. Consequently, a malicious circulation may occur; residents of developing countries cannot develop technology by themselves and have to rely on engineers from a developed country who completed higher education (university or graduate school) for introducing advanced scientific technology.
Next, what are characteristics of the Second Age? Read the next section "the Second Age".
References:
Laslett, P. (1987). The emergence of the Third Age. Ageing and Society, 7. 133-160.
Laslett, P. (1991). A fresh map of life: The emergence of the Third Age (paperback ed.). London: George Wiedenfield and
Nicholson.
The Second Age
The second age refers to the second era of one's life during employment until retirement, including child-rearing (Laslett, 1987; 1991). Entering employment, that is, the beginning of the second age varies, depending on individual choices for the dropout/graduation from the final school/college/university/graduate school. It is an era to be mentally or economically independent from parent(s) (independence), grown (maturity), liable for child rearing or social duties, such as working and income tax payment (responsibility).
The Second Age, according to Laslett (1991), is the longest of the four ages, the most productive in terms of rearing children, earning incomes, and paying income taxes, and the most contributive socially and politically. Moreover, second agers build economic resources by labor for their own country, which results in personal, social reproduction.
Employers force works onto employees almost completely (Laslett, 1991). Satisfaction with a job is accidental. Second agers must work reluctantly to live and may feel alienation from their job. Thus, most of them can be devoted to their personal hobby only after daily works, during vacations, weekends, and holidays.
Yet, exceptionally, specialists, such as doctors and researchers, make a living during their own times without compulsion from employer (Laslett, 1991). With their remarkable success during their Second Age, these specialists never feel such alienation from their job. Furthermore, they can raise a family and manage their tasks simultaneously, and thus they do not have a sense of being used by employer.
Childbirth and childcare are activities common for both genders (Laslett, 1991). On the contrary, in recent years, more women have a job than ever before. Yet, women rather than men can achieve child rearing and have the maximal satisfaction. Usual people feel personal satisfaction and accomplishment in pursuing their career, raising a family, and obtaining and maintaining power against others.
Dissatisfaction, which parents, especially mothers spending all their time rearing their children have, is similar to the sense of alienation from their job during the Second Age (Laslett, 1991). Thus, women work out of their house. Women have a job to maintain their family like men, as well as to earn additional expenses (e.g., child education, family trip, and furniture purchase). When women see their children become independent prominently, they feel success in child rearing.
Above all, Laslett described the Second Age very comprehensibly and appropriately. When child rearing and labor are accomplished, the Third Age finally begins. Read the next section "the Third Age".
References:
Laslett, P. (1987). The emergence of the Third Age. Ageing and Society, 7. 133-160.
Laslett, P. (1991). A fresh map of life: The emergence of the Third Age (paperback ed.). London: George Wiedenfield and
Nicholson.
The Third Age
In developed countries, many of those retired or reached old age will possibly glory in the rest of their healthy life for a long time. The Third Age comes after the First Age for learning and the Second Age for working and child rearing (Laslett, 1887; 1991).
Characteristics of the Third Age (Laslett, 1887; 1991) are:
• Being mentally and physically healthy
• Enjoying their life freely (i.e., without obligation to work)
• Living without economic difficulties due to sufficient pension
Laslett (1887; 1991), famous for his theory of the Third Age, insisted that only elders who were healthy, active, and had a positive attitude to have the Third Age could have this era and that the Third Age was for life fulfillment. The Third Age is a culmination of life.
The Third Age emerges only in developed countries (Laslett, 1887). In developing countries, in contrast, people may not have the Third Age because of disadvantages: a) short longevity due to undeveloped medical technique and b) insufficient pension due to undeveloped industrial technique and thus low GNI.
Persons can originally choose when they begin or finish the First Age or Second Age, but only the Third Age begins at retirement, which a nation prescribes in accordance with its pension system (Laslett, 1887; 1991). Therefore, he defined the Third Age generally as the culmination of one's life after retirement.
Laslett (1987) also indicated that some special people experience the culmination of their life, that is, their Third Age already before retirement. To learn these particular cases, read 'Special Cases to Have the Third Age before Retirement' in the Depth page on this website.
Next is the description for "the Fourth Age", the fourth era of a life.
References:
Laslett, P. (1987). The emergence of the Third Age. Ageing and Society, 7. 133-160.
Laslett, P. (1991). A fresh map of life: The emergence of the Third Age (paperback ed.). London: George Wiedenfield and
Nicholson.
The Fourth Age
The older you grow, the more likely you will be to reluctantly lose your mobility and under the care from family or others due to age-related diseases, such as cancers, dementia, Alzheimer's, and osteoporosis. Even though you luckily escape these diseases and live long and healthy (i.e., have a long Third Age), you will eventually grow senile and pass away. The final dependence, decrepitude, and death are characteristics of the Fourth Age (Laslett, 1987).
Under the extended life situation, in Japan with the globally highest longevity, an ideal life for many elders is having a healthy old age as long as possible and then passing away quickly calmly without dementia or being bedridden. This idea can be said in a manner of Laslett's theory of the Third Age like having the Third Age as long as possible and then finishing the Fourth Age as short as possible.
From the characteristics of the Third Age that Laslett (Laslett, 1887; 1991) exemplified, those of the Fourth Age are:
• Being mentally and/or physically unhealthy
• Having no obligation to work, but no longer living independently due to their unhealthiness
• Despite having sufficient pension, no longer being able to manage their own money
Thus, the Fourth Age is an era to have no choice to rely on others for personal care due to senility until passing, that is, the final dependence.
References:
Laslett, P. (1987). The emergence of the Third Age. Ageing and Society, 7. 133-160.
Laslett, P. (1991). A fresh map of life: The emergence of the Third Age (paperback ed.). London: George Wiedenfield and
Nicholson.
What Contributes to Longevity?
In developed countries, the average life expectancy at birth reaches 80 years, and many older adults want eternal youth and health despite their actual age. They dream longevity with perpetual youth and health. Now available and popular are various cosmetics, healthy foods, drinks, and supplements to keep youth or health.
What is youthfulness? Not to mention it is having mind and body in a good condition, such as, retentive memory, sufficient physical strength, and supple skin, until the end of puberty. In contrast, oldness or aging is having mind and body deteriorating after the puberty.
Puberty lasts until the end of one's 20s. Thus, those in contemporary developed countries want to keep their youthfulness for as long as 50 years from age of 30 to 80 under this longevity trend. Naturally, however, no ones can maintain their youthfulness completely for 50 years; they only can retard their aging process.
In developed countries, the human aging process slows more and more thanks to peacefulness, advanced medical science and scientific technology, which all contribute to the average longevity extended. Those in industrial countries are characteristic of not "eternal youth and immortality" but "gradual aging and longevity".
In developing countries or regions, on the contrary, it is uncertain for residents to have food to live tomorrow or even a life due to conflicts, and poor conditions of medical science and scientific technology. Their average life spans are still as short as 30 to 50 years.
Yet, in developed countries with the potential gradual aging and longevity, some elders live longer and healthier without any major physical or mental issues, whereas other seniors suffer from immobility, dementia, or other aging-related problems. In gerontology, the former are third agers, and the latter are fourth agers. These names come from theory of the Third Age. In this theory, one's life comprises four ages, and old age further consists of two ages, the Third Age and the Fourth Age.
The Third Age is literally a third age of a life. Then, why is it called so? For the detail, read the following section "What is the Third Age?"
What is the Third Age?
Peter Laslett (1915-2001), a British historian, established his rather positive aging theory of the Third Age in the 1980s. In Laslett's (1987) theory, one's life comprises four ages, and the culmination is in the Third Age. The phrase Third Age came from French universities, les Universités du Troisième Âge (the Universities of the Third Age), which since the 1970s have offered study opportunities to seniors relatively healthy and active, and entered English-speaking countries (Laslett, 1987).
Laslett (1987) mentioned that the Third Age was generally an era after retirement with health, vigor, and positive attitude to have the Third Age, except for particular cases. He also described that the Third Age emerged in only developed countries with both population aging and excellent economic conditions.
Previously, most researchers tended to conduct their aging studies focused on negative viewpoints, such as decline in mental/physical function. Once Laslett advocated theory of the Third Age, however, his theory prevailed rapidly among developed countries, and researchers conducted positive aging studies (e.g., effects of social activities, including learning, in the Third Age [Saddler, 2006]).
The Third Age is literally a third era in one's life comprising four ages (Laslett, 1987; 1991): the First Age, the Second Age, the Third Age, the Fourth Age. For summaries of characteristics of the respective ages, read the next "Four Ages".
References:
Laslett, P. (1987). The emergence of the Third Age. Ageing and Society, 7. 133-160.
Sadler, W. A. (2006). Changing life options: Uncovering the riches of the Third Age. LLI Review, 1, 11-20.
Four Ages
According to Laslett's (1987, 1991) theory of the Third Age, one's life consists of four ages, and its culmination comes at the Third Age. Those in each age are called first, second, third, or fourth agers, respectively (Carr, 2009). The respective ages have characteristics:
First Age: an era for dependence, socialization, immaturity, and learning
Second Age: an era for independence, maturity, responsibility, and working
Third Age: an era for personal achievement and fulfillment after retirement, and
Fourth Age: an era for the final dependence, decrepitude, and death
In Laslett's (1987, 1991) theory of the Third Age, old age further comprises two ages, the Third and Four Ages. That is, some elders are healthy and thus third agers, whereas others are frail and thus fourth agers.
Erikson's (1959) theory of psychosocial development and Maslow's (1954) hierarchy of needs, for example, also relate to the entire human development. Yet, such past lifespan development theories were from the perspective that people continuously developed to the next stage at each specific age. Thus, unlike Laslett's (1987, 1991) theory, these were insufficient to distinguish some healthy elders from others at a same age having decline in mental/physical function (e.g., having dementia or other aging-related negative disease).
Laslett (1987, 1991) strongly insisted that these four ages did not begin or end at one's birthday or a year having that birthday. With his theory of the Third Age, therefore, it is rationale that a person has each own lifespan; despite the same age, some seniors are healthy and thus in the Third Age, whereas others are frail and thus in the Fourth Age.
When does each age begin or end? Read the next "Beginning and Ending of Four Ages".
References:
Carr, D. (2009). Aging in America: The link between productivity and resources in the Third Age. Ageing International, 34(3), 154-171. doi:10.1007/s12126-009-9041-8
Erikson, Erik H. (1959) Identity and the Life Cycle. New York: International Universities Press.
Laslett, P. (1987). The emergence of the Third Age. Ageing and Society, 7. 133-160.
Laslett, P. (1991). A fresh map of life: The emergence of the Third Age (paperback ed.). London: George Wiedenfield and
Nicholson.
Maslow, A. H. (1954). Motivation and personality. New York: Harper.
Beginning and Ending of the Four Ages
Laslett (1987, 1991) strongly insisted that none of these four ages, from the First Age to the Fourth Age, uniformly began or ended at one's specific birthday or a year having that birthday. That is, the respective Four Ages basically begin (or end) at one's personal choice.
For those who aged 20 years, for instance, some are college students (first agers), but others are already workers (second agers) after their graduation from a high school. Each individual freely chooses and decides when to finish the First Age and to enter the Second Age. Despite individuals' intention, yet, only retirement must meet a specific age requirement (e.g., age of 65 years) in accordance with each country's system to grant a pension (so-called compulsory retirement), and thus the Third Age begins at retirement (Laslett, 1987; 1991).
Meanwhile, for example, some live longer than the average longevity (e.g., age of 90 years) keeping their health (third agers), whereas others pass away (fourth agers) before reaching the average longevity (e.g., age of 50) due to a fatal disease, such as a cancer, unfortunately. However, even the Fourth Age does not always begin automatically at a specific age, but people may retard its beginning with their efforts, including habitual healthy behavior, disease prevention, and early treatment.
Noticing such various life patterns among people, Laslett (1987, 1991) properly insisted that any of the four ages do not began at one's specific birthday or a year having that birthday, but at one's personal choice, except for the Third Age subject to a country's pension scheme.
More specifically, what characteristics do the respective four ages have? For the detailed description of the First Age, read the next section "the First Age".
References:
Laslett, P. (1987). The emergence of the Third Age. Ageing and Society, 7. 133-160.
Laslett, P. (1991). A fresh map of life: The emergence of the Third Age (paperback ed.). London: George Wiedenfield and
Nicholson.
The First Age
The First Age, literally a first era of one's life, refers to a period from the birth through learning term until right before the first employment (Laslett, 1987; 1991). This age requires upbringing by parents (dependence), building and developing social relationships with parents, teachers, and friends (socialization), and learning at schools or college/university, before independence (immaturity).
When the First Age ends differs among persons, depending on their personal choice (Laslett, 1987; 1991). If a person drops out or graduates from an educational institution (an elementary, middle, or high school; college/university; or graduate school) and then is employed, the First Age of that person finishes at the final dropout/graduation. Likewise, the First Age ends at the graduation from a middle school in some cases, while it lasts until the completion of graduation school courses in others. If someone works as a full-timer after graduation from a high school but simultaneously learns at a night school or long-distance education to obtain a bachelor's degree, that person has both First and Second Ages. Thus, Laslett (1987, 1991) strongly insisted that the beginning/ending of each age depended upon one's personal choice.
Generally, the First Age tends shorter for those in developing countries, but longer for those in developed countries. In developing countries many people are poor and thus begin working (the Second Age) soon after the dropout or graduation from an elementary or middle school. Consequently, a malicious circulation may occur; residents of developing countries cannot develop technology by themselves and have to rely on engineers from a developed country who completed higher education (university or graduate school) for introducing advanced scientific technology.
Next, what are characteristics of the Second Age? Read the next section "the Second Age".
References:
Laslett, P. (1987). The emergence of the Third Age. Ageing and Society, 7. 133-160.
Laslett, P. (1991). A fresh map of life: The emergence of the Third Age (paperback ed.). London: George Wiedenfield and
Nicholson.
The Second Age
The second age refers to the second era of one's life during employment until retirement, including child-rearing (Laslett, 1987; 1991). Entering employment, that is, the beginning of the second age varies, depending on individual choices for the dropout/graduation from the final school/college/university/graduate school. It is an era to be mentally or economically independent from parent(s) (independence), grown (maturity), liable for child rearing or social duties, such as working and income tax payment (responsibility).
The Second Age, according to Laslett (1991), is the longest of the four ages, the most productive in terms of rearing children, earning incomes, and paying income taxes, and the most contributive socially and politically. Moreover, second agers build economic resources by labor for their own country, which results in personal, social reproduction.
Employers force works onto employees almost completely (Laslett, 1991). Satisfaction with a job is accidental. Second agers must work reluctantly to live and may feel alienation from their job. Thus, most of them can be devoted to their personal hobby only after daily works, during vacations, weekends, and holidays.
Yet, exceptionally, specialists, such as doctors and researchers, make a living during their own times without compulsion from employer (Laslett, 1991). With their remarkable success during their Second Age, these specialists never feel such alienation from their job. Furthermore, they can raise a family and manage their tasks simultaneously, and thus they do not have a sense of being used by employer.
Childbirth and childcare are activities common for both genders (Laslett, 1991). On the contrary, in recent years, more women have a job than ever before. Yet, women rather than men can achieve child rearing and have the maximal satisfaction. Usual people feel personal satisfaction and accomplishment in pursuing their career, raising a family, and obtaining and maintaining power against others.
Dissatisfaction, which parents, especially mothers spending all their time rearing their children have, is similar to the sense of alienation from their job during the Second Age (Laslett, 1991). Thus, women work out of their house. Women have a job to maintain their family like men, as well as to earn additional expenses (e.g., child education, family trip, and furniture purchase). When women see their children become independent prominently, they feel success in child rearing.
Above all, Laslett described the Second Age very comprehensibly and appropriately. When child rearing and labor are accomplished, the Third Age finally begins. Read the next section "the Third Age".
References:
Laslett, P. (1987). The emergence of the Third Age. Ageing and Society, 7. 133-160.
Laslett, P. (1991). A fresh map of life: The emergence of the Third Age (paperback ed.). London: George Wiedenfield and
Nicholson.
The Third Age
In developed countries, many of those retired or reached old age will possibly glory in the rest of their healthy life for a long time. The Third Age comes after the First Age for learning and the Second Age for working and child rearing (Laslett, 1887; 1991).
Characteristics of the Third Age (Laslett, 1887; 1991) are:
• Being mentally and physically healthy
• Enjoying their life freely (i.e., without obligation to work)
• Living without economic difficulties due to sufficient pension
Laslett (1887; 1991), famous for his theory of the Third Age, insisted that only elders who were healthy, active, and had a positive attitude to have the Third Age could have this era and that the Third Age was for life fulfillment. The Third Age is a culmination of life.
The Third Age emerges only in developed countries (Laslett, 1887). In developing countries, in contrast, people may not have the Third Age because of disadvantages: a) short longevity due to undeveloped medical technique and b) insufficient pension due to undeveloped industrial technique and thus low GNI.
Persons can originally choose when they begin or finish the First Age or Second Age, but only the Third Age begins at retirement, which a nation prescribes in accordance with its pension system (Laslett, 1887; 1991). Therefore, he defined the Third Age generally as the culmination of one's life after retirement.
Laslett (1987) also indicated that some special people experience the culmination of their life, that is, their Third Age already before retirement. To learn these particular cases, read 'Special Cases to Have the Third Age before Retirement' in the Depth page on this website.
Next is the description for "the Fourth Age", the fourth era of a life.
References:
Laslett, P. (1987). The emergence of the Third Age. Ageing and Society, 7. 133-160.
Laslett, P. (1991). A fresh map of life: The emergence of the Third Age (paperback ed.). London: George Wiedenfield and
Nicholson.
The Fourth Age
The older you grow, the more likely you will be to reluctantly lose your mobility and under the care from family or others due to age-related diseases, such as cancers, dementia, Alzheimer's, and osteoporosis. Even though you luckily escape these diseases and live long and healthy (i.e., have a long Third Age), you will eventually grow senile and pass away. The final dependence, decrepitude, and death are characteristics of the Fourth Age (Laslett, 1987).
Under the extended life situation, in Japan with the globally highest longevity, an ideal life for many elders is having a healthy old age as long as possible and then passing away quickly calmly without dementia or being bedridden. This idea can be said in a manner of Laslett's theory of the Third Age like having the Third Age as long as possible and then finishing the Fourth Age as short as possible.
From the characteristics of the Third Age that Laslett (Laslett, 1887; 1991) exemplified, those of the Fourth Age are:
• Being mentally and/or physically unhealthy
• Having no obligation to work, but no longer living independently due to their unhealthiness
• Despite having sufficient pension, no longer being able to manage their own money
Thus, the Fourth Age is an era to have no choice to rely on others for personal care due to senility until passing, that is, the final dependence.
References:
Laslett, P. (1987). The emergence of the Third Age. Ageing and Society, 7. 133-160.
Laslett, P. (1991). A fresh map of life: The emergence of the Third Age (paperback ed.). London: George Wiedenfield and
Nicholson.
