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European Media Laboratory
Gesellschaft mbH
Schloss-Wolfsbrunnenweg 35
D - 69118 Heidelberg
Telefon +49 (0)6221 - 533-201
Telefax +49 (0)6221 - 533-298
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Prof. Hans-Werner Wahl |
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Colloquium 07.06.2010
Aging and Technology: Oxymoron or Synergetic Alliance?
Since the beginning of the 1990’s the use of technology as a potential
for aging well has found profound conceptual and empirical treatment,
but at the same time to some extent controversial discussion. On the one
hand, technology has been identified as a strong means to compensate
for classic age-related deficits such as sensory, motor and cognitive
loss. On the other hand, critical voices were raised in various
directions, pointing for example to risks of technology such as losing
the social dimension of care, creating new dependencies for older
people, or installing a “Big Brother is Watching You” scenario of aging
at large. In this presentation, I will first examine the usefulness of
technology in the light of concepts of optimal aging, keeping in mind
the pronounced heterogeneity of aging processes from highly competent to
very frail older individuals. Second, I will draw from our own
empirical research as well as the findings of others to illustrate the
potential of technology for aging individuals. Third, I will discuss a
selection of future research priorities and scenarios of the aging and
technology alliance.
Hans-Werner Wahl received his Ph.D. in psychology from the Free
University of Berlin in 1989 and was from 1997 to 2005 Professor
of Social and Environmental Gerontology and chair of the Department of
Social and Environmental Gerontology at the German Center for Research
on Ageing at Heidelberg University, Germany. Since 2006, he is Professor
of Psychological Aging Research at the Institute of Psychology,
Heidelberg University, Germany. His research activities include the
understanding of the role of physical-technological environments for
ageing well, adaptational processes in the context of age-related
chronic functional loss, processes of awareness of ageing in a lifespan
perspective and intervention research. He is the author or editor of
more than 20 books and more than 200 scholarly journal articles and
chapters related to the study of human aging. He is co-editor-in-chief
of the European Journal of Ageing and a member of the editorial board of
The Gerontologist. Dr. Wahl is also a fellow of the Gerontological
Society of America (GSA) and has received the 2008 Social Gerontology
Award and the 2009 M. Powell Lawton Award of the GSA.
Vortragssprache: English
Veranstaltungsort: Studio-Building Villa Bosch,
Schloß-Wolfsbrunnenweg 33, 69118 Heidelberg
Kontakt:
Bärbel Mack
European Media Laboratory GmbH
Schloss-Wolfsbrunnenweg 33
69118 Heidelberg
Tel.: +49 (0) 6221 - 533- 201
Fax: +49 (0) 6221 - 533- 298
Email: baerbel.mack (at) eml-d.villa-bosch.de
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