Commentary and Analysis
The section Standing on the Shoulders of Giants in Gerontology includes a short preface by Richard A. Settersten, Jr. and four chapters explaining the theoretical development of gerontology by Hayflick, Schaie, Bengtson, Estes, and DiCarlo. The four articles are described as “personal perspectives” from the outset and represent highly emotive accounts of pioneers in the sphere of gerontology (Settersten, 2016, p. 50). The scientists recall their childhood, early fascination with science, and their unlikely, accidental forays into the field of gerontology that was in its infancy at the time and presented an interesting intersection of multiple disciplines but was mostly derided by the scientific community. They describe the state of research when they first entered the field, the development of basic theories and predictions for the future. In general, these chapters strike one as poetic stories about overcoming personal hardship in a marginalized field with philosophical significance rather than scholarly texts.
Gerontology itself is romanticized as a field concerned with answering the essential mysteries of humanity rather than a strictly empirical endeavor. The first chapter by Hayflick opens with a story on the human desire for immortality that stretches back three thousand years and has culminated in a multibillion lifestyle industry that promises to slow or stop human aging (2016). The articles provide an interesting psychological analysis on the grasp aging and death have on the human psyche; Bengtson, in particular, describes the meaning of age and its effect on social structures, social position, and intergenerational relations (2016). The philosophical primacy that underpins and elevates gerontology, and thus the fundamental importance of their work, is never forgotten.
Furthermore, the scientists’ detailed accounts of their career setbacks, struggles, and eventual recognition provide insight into the functioning of the scientific world and make for highly emotionally appealing narratives of personal triumph. Bengtson was the only child in his high school to go to college; Warner Schaie escaped Nazi Germany; Hayflick faced years of government lawsuits after his experiments were confiscated (2016). The fact that they ended up dedicating their lives to gerontology was mostly chance and accident. In general, their life stories seem like tales ripe for a Hollywood adaptation.
Additionally, all the writers give tribute to and acknowledge previous scientists’ work that has contributed to the field through either personal experiences or general descriptions. The last two chapters are a more objective, emotionally detached summary of gerontology research and policy development. An overall understanding of the initial contempt and difficulties in gerontology emerges. With the exception of the last chapter, these perspectives are highly personal and emotive stories about overcoming hardship in the romanticized yet marginalized field of gerontology.
Stating and Questioning the Assumptions Behind an Author’s Perspective
Hayflick clearly assumes that our modern obsession with “slow[ing], stop[ping] or revers[ing] aging” is a futile endeavor, and we must instead accept aging and our eventual death (Hayflick, 2016, p. 72). He berates billion-dollar industries for encouraging the myth of infinite life in order to sell a certain lifestyle. Hayflick compares the populist belief in the gerontologist pursuit of immortality as the equivalent of believing that “the goal of modern chemists is to turn metals into gold”. (Hayflick, 2016, p. 72). This false belief contributes to the stigmatization of gerontology that deprives it of necessary financial funding because of its association with fraudelent alchemy.
Gerontology is concerned with investigating the “fundamental biology of aging” that traverses species, not resolving human age-associated diseases such as Alzheimer’s or cancer to achieve immortality. “Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die”, not a guarantor of infinite life (Hayflick, 2016, p. 68). It is pointed out that if all legally accepted causes of death were resolved, human life expectancy would increase by no more than twelve years (2016). Hayflick assumes that financial resources have been unfairly redirected towards age-associated diseases in the false belief that finding cures would lead to immortality. However, we must let go of this fantasy and accept our inevitable aging and demise – and consequently, of course, fund gerontology projects.
References
Bengston, V. L. (2016). How theories of aging became social: Emergence of the sociology of aging. In Bengtson, V. L., & Settersten Jr, R. (Eds.), Handbook of theories of aging (pp. 96-117). Springer Publishing Company.
Estes, C. L., & DiCarlo, N. R. (2016). Social movements and social knowledges: Gerontological theory in research, policy, and practice. In Bengtson, V. L., & Settersten Jr, R. (Eds.), Handbook of theories of aging (pp. 118-140). Springer Publishing Company.
Hayflick, L. (2016). Unlike aging, longevity is sexually determined. In Bengtson, V. L., & Settersten Jr, R. (Eds.), Handbook of theories of aging (pp. 54-78). Springer Publishing Company.
Settersten Jr, R. (2016). Standing on the shoulders of giants in gerontology. In Bengtson, V. L., & Settersten Jr, R. (Eds.), Handbook of theories of aging (pp. 50-53). Springer Publishing Company.
Warner Schaie, K. (2016). The psychology of aging. In Bengtson, V. L., & Settersten Jr, R. (Eds.), Handbook of theories of aging (pp. 79-95). Springer Publishing Company.