Demographic transformation resulting from low fertility and high life expectancyin developedand developing countries has led to an increase in the numbers of elderly people living in those countries. Moreover,low birthrates,changing fam-ilystructures,and economic and political crises causing migration and flight arehavinga significant impact on intergenerational relationships,social welfare systems, the job market, and on what elderly people (can) expectfrom theirre-tirement and environment.Due to these current demographic developments and changes, the categories age and aging are quickly gaining in societal relevance and are garnering tremendous attention in various scientific and scholarly fields. Age(ing) is not only a biological and social fact but also a cultural one. Questions of aging and demographic change, and issues of dependency andthe need for care, are central concerns in Europe and in many other countries worldwide. In societies with a growing proportion of older people, conceptsre-lating to who the elderly are and what aging means are becoming increasingly important.