The changing view of aging
by Kathy Shea
At 71, Arthur Harkins, associate professor in the Department of Educational Policy and Administration, doesn’t worry about age. He still has his hand in a variety of projects, departments, and cross-college initiatives that explore, on various levels, the intersection of technology, education, innovation, and the workforce. At home he enjoys the company of his fifth wife and their 15-month-old son. Harkins is calling the shots in what others would call his later years. He’s not alone, as he points out: This is a trend.
“There is an increased sense that, as one gets beyond 50, the world becomes much less prescribed than it used to be,” says Harkins, who has a deep interest in futures studies. “Now it’s much more inventible by individuals. I find this hugely exciting.”
He attributes this new freedom, in part, to the extension of longevity and active health that medical technology has made increasingly possible. “The trick to healthy aging,” he says, “is to be healthy enough to be both adaptable and proactive. As the world changes, you change with it. When you become proactive, you’re inventing your world and inviting others to keep up with you.”
People across age groups are breaking away from prescribed notions of how and what they should be at each stage of life. However, Harkins qualifies, many older people lose their vigor because they expect to. As a result, their lives lack surprise and risk. “They become unplugged, without upstream feedback, without offering uniqueness back to society—they just exist,” Harkins comments. “I wonder if our society can tolerate such loss, particularly when experience and wisdom are more in demand than ever.”
Jan Hively, a senior fellow in the College, has made it her charge to help older adults remain active and engaged. In 2000, she conducted a survey of older adults living in rural Minnesota as part of her fieldwork for her Ph.D. in work, community, and family education. Her research uncovered an unrealized truth: Modern older adults are, in large numbers, healthy, fulfilled, and wanting to remain connected to and active in their communities.
What holds them back? “Ageism,” says Hively, “and a lack of community supports like transportation or housing alternatives that enable older adults to remain actively engaged.”
Five years ago Hivley cofounded the Vital Aging Network (VAN), a statewide network affiliated with the University’s College of Continuing Education, to combat ageism and foster a more active view of aging. VAN promotes self-determination, community participation, and personal enrichment for and with older adults through education and advocacy. Last year it was recognized as a model for other statewide organizations when it received a $650,000 Atlantic Philanthropies Grant.