What's my age again? Age categories as interactive kinds

Area of Science:

• Philosophy of Science
• Sociology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Common age classifications (e.g., young adulthood, middle adulthood, older adulthood) are chronologically defined.
• These categories appear to be natural kinds based on clustered biological, psychological, and social properties.
• Historical instability challenges the natural kind status of age categories due to societal and healthcare advancements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To philosophically examine the ontological status of age classification.
• To propose a new framework for understanding age categories.
• To explore the implications of this new framework for scientific and social practices.

Main Methods:

• Philosophical analysis of existing theories of natural kinds (homeostatic property cluster account).
• Examination of empirical observations regarding changes in human aging and the impact of classification.
• Development of the concept of 'interactive kinds' to account for looping effects.

Main Results:

• Age categories are not static natural kinds but are historically unstable.
• Healthcare and cultural developments alter the properties associated with age categories.
• The act of classification itself influences behaviors and properties, creating dynamic looping effects.

Conclusions:

• Age categories are best understood as 'interactive kinds' influenced by looping effects.
• This reconceptualization necessitates a review of how disciplines define and utilize age categories.
• Understanding age as an interactive kind has implications for inductive inferences across various fields.