*Address correspondence to Jan E. Mutchler, Department of Gerontology, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 02125. E-mail:
Gerontologist. 2014 Feb;54(1):93-100. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnt099. Epub 2013 Sep 5.
The latter part of the 20th century was a period characterized by a fundamental transition in scholarship on activity and the aging process. Theory emphasizing the inevitable decline of human capacity was gradually replaced with concepts stressing positive, multidimensional views of aging. In this article, we highlight the key contributors and trace the origins and overlapping themes of successful aging, productive aging, and civic engagement in later life: 3 examples of scholarship representing a "positive" gerontology. Rowe and Kahn's model of successful aging highlights the interplay between social engagement with life, health, and functioning for a positive aging experience. Productive aging, led by Robert Butler, recognizes the previously underappreciated participation of older adults in activities such as volunteering, paid work, and caregiving, and generates interest in the individual and societal barriers to and benefits of participation. Civic engagement in later life raises public awareness about the need to involve older adults in the community, creates opportunities for participation, and generates further interest in the mutual benefit of participation for community beneficiaries and participants. Successful aging, productive aging, and civic engagement represent important contributions to the field of gerontology through applications to policy, advocacy, and theory development.
20 世纪后半叶是学术研究活动和老龄化过程发生根本转变的时期。强调人类能力不可避免下降的理论逐渐被强调积极、多维的老龄化观念所取代。本文重点介绍了成功老龄化、生产性老龄化和晚年公民参与这三个代表“积极”老年学的学术研究的主要贡献者，并追溯了它们的起源和重叠主题：成功老龄化是罗伟和卡恩的模式，强调了社会参与生活、健康和功能之间的相互作用，以获得积极的老龄化体验。生产性老龄化是由罗伯特·巴特勒领导的，它认识到老年人以前未被重视的参与志愿服务、有偿工作和照顾等活动，并对个人和社会参与的障碍和收益产生了兴趣。晚年公民参与提高了公众对让老年人参与社区的认识，为参与创造了机会，并进一步激发了社区受益人和参与者之间参与互惠的兴趣。成功老龄化、生产性老龄化和晚年公民参与通过应用于政策、宣传和理论发展，为老年学领域做出了重要贡献。
