[The social construction of the "oldest old" in a young-old society]

In gerontology and public discourse, old age is often described as a double reality--the potentials and resources of older people contrast with the deficits and burdens of the oldest old. The polarisation into a desired higher age and a feared old age mirrors society's treatment of age and ageing: everybody wants to get old, but nobody wants to be old. Very old age in a young-old society is defined as the "other" that deviates from the ideals of activity, productivity and youthfulness and thus acts as a cultural anti-model. Whereas higher age is conceived as the fulfilment of middle age, "real" age begins with high age. Based on a multilevel model of the social construction of age categories, this article depicts the institutional, cultural, interactive and individual production of the "oldest old".