Ageing Democracies
Political Participation and Cultural Values among the Elderly in Europe
In 2050, about 30% of the EU population will be over 65 years. Will an older Europe be a more conservative Europe? The idea that the degeneration of liberal democratic values is somehow related to Europe’s older population has absolutely no grounding in the facts. To confront these prejudices and provide a more thorough reflection on the politics of ageing, the Centre for Contemporary Culture and the Open Society Initiative for Europe have teamed up to produce the Ageing Democracies project.
Ageing Democracies is an international research initiative the political and cultural consequences of population ageing in Europe. Through five fellowships granted to a multidisciplinary team of cultural experts, Ageing Democracies links academic research with cultural reflection and critical debate to dismantle the myths and stereotypes about the implications of Europe’s changing demographics.
The projects
Grandma Calls me Thomas, a Documentary film by Maja Daniels
Maja Daniels (Sweden) is a photographer. She is working on a documentary on the changes brought by the arrival of young refugees to an ageing and depopulating village in rural Sweden.
Grey or Silver Politics in Europe’s Ageing Democracies, a report by Achim Goerres
Prof. Dr. Achim Goerres (Germany) is one of Europe’s foremost experts on the political behaviour of the elderly. The report is an empirical look at the political views, behaviour and social conditions of Europe’s elderly population,
Nobody’s Home, a documentary film by Ingrid Guardiola
Ingrid Guardiola (Spain) has a PhD in Humanities from Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. She is preparing a documentary on two elderly communities: one in the urban Sant Andreu district of Barcelona and one in the depopulating mining village of Ciñera in León.
De Senectute Política, a Philosophical essay by Pedro Olalla
Pedro Olalla (Spain-Greece) is a philosopher based in Greece. He is writing a philosophical reflection on the political implications of ageing, based on a dialogue with Cicero’s De Senectute, the oldest classical text on ageing.
The New Old Home, a play by Peca Stefan
Peca Stefan (Romania) is a playwright. He is preparing an immersive and interactive work for theatre which reflects on the political consequences ageing through the relationship between a millenial and her grandmother.
Related contents
Will an older Europe be a more conservative Europe?
Interviews with Maja Daniels, Achim Goerres, Ingrid Guardiola, Pedro Olalla, Jordi Vaquer and Vicenç Villatoro.
Through five fellowships granted to a multidisciplinary team of cultural researchers, Ageing Democracies links academic research with cultural reflection and critical debate to dismantle the myths and stereotypes about the implications of Europe’s changing demographics. This video presents the main ideas of the project with interventions by Vicenç Villatoro, director of the CCCB, Jordi Vaquer, regional director for Europe of the Open Society Foundations and Ingrid Guardiola, Pedro Olalla, Maja Daniels and Achim Goerres, Ageing Democracies researchers. ...
Ageing Democracies?
Carlos Delclós | Susana Arias
Ageing Democracies es una iniciativa de investigación internacional sobre las consecuencias políticas y culturales del envejecimiento de la población en Europa. A través de cinco trabajos de un equipo multidisciplinar de expertos, Ageing Democracies enlaza ...
