The exploration of what May Sarton calls the "foreign country of old
age" usually does not go far beyond the familiar: the focus of aging
studies has thus far clearly rested upon North America and Western
Europe. This multidisciplinary essay collection critically examines
conditions and representations of old age and aging in Eastern and
Southeastern Europe from various perspectives of the humanities and
social sciences. By shedding light on these culturally specific
contexts, the contributions widen our understanding of the aging process
in all its diversity and demonstrate that a shift in perspectives might
in fact challenge a number of taken-for-granted positions and
presumptions of aging studies.