Precarity in later life: contributions to its conceptualization and operationalization

Abstract

This article conceptualizes precarity in later life as a socially produced condition that affects older adults in differentiated ways. Its central dimensions are insecurity and uncertainty, present at both structural and individual levels. It is a multidomain, relational, cumulative, and dynamic phenomenon. It cannot be reduced to resource scarcity or objective indicators, as it incorporates subjective experiences and anticipations of the future. This conceptualization — aligned with a critical perspective on ageing — enables the identification of complex forms of social vulnerability in later life, often rendered invisible by conventional statistics.