Gerotranscendence

Lars Tornstam, PhD, is a pioneer of Swedish social gerontology, who wrote the first Swedish doctoral thesis within the field of gerontological sociology back in 1973. At Uppsala University he launched the first Swedish academic courses in gerontology and did the same in Denmark during a five year stay as adjunct professor of social gerontology at the University of Copenhagen. He has also been one of the leaders of a Swedish nation-wide, cross faculty, research program Elderly in society – Past, present and in the future, where he himself focused his research on empirical studies of what today is labeled ageism.Dr. Tornstam is now holding the first Swedish chair in social gerontology at Uppsala University, where he is the leader of The Social Gerontology Group.

• Introduction The Need for New Theories in Social Gerontology The Root of the Misery Perspective Myths Within Gerontology The “Retirement Trauma” The Scientific Paradigm of Gerontology The Absolute Order of Things The Function of Myths Within Science Bursting the Borders Origin of the Theory and First Outline The Paradigmatic Context of the Disengagement Theory and Its Counter Theories Experimental Thinking with an Alternative Meta-Theoretical Paradigm Obstructions in the Process Towards Gerotranscendence Conclusion The Qualitative Content of Gerotranscendence Gerotranscendence and Its Opposite The Cosmic Dimension of Gerotranscendence The Self Dimension of Gerotranscendence The Social and Personal Relationships Dimension of Gerotranscendence Obstacles and Shortcuts on the Path to Gerotranscendence The Signs of Gerotranscendence A Development Beyond Both Disengagement and Ego Integrity Quantitative Empirical Elucidations Gerotranscendence Development in Retrospect Gerotranscendence in a Cross Sectional Perspective Focusing the 65+ Life Crises and Gerotranscendence The Functions of Reminiscence on Gerotranscendence Gerotranscendence in Practice Nursing Staff’s Interpretations of Gerotranscendence Related Behavior The Impact of the Theory on Nursing Staff Practical Guide Lines for Staff Members Introducing Guidelines in a Nursing Home Environment Conclusive Summary Acknowledgements References Appendix: Suggested Exercises for Personal Development