Reconsidering the life review: the social construction of talk about the past

The ostensible natural propensity of the elderly to talk about the past is reconsidered from a social constructionist perspective, offering a sociological alternative to Robert Butler's life review interpretation. Data from life narrative interviews with 30 near-centenarians are used to illustrate the importance of situated narrative challenges for initiating the construction and communication of life stories. Life stories are presented as social constructions made necessary and shaped by the demands of specific social situations.