Newly revised and updated, this classic text examines the impact of social forces on the aging process. It considers aging from personal, family, community, societal, and global perspectives. The sixth edition reflects significant changes in the field of social gerontology. It delves deeply into the life course paradigm to demonstrate how aging experiences are shaped by individuals’; pasts and by a sweeping range of social factors. It uses a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens to underscore how social and economic advantages and disadvantages can accumulate with aging. Chapters reflect the richness and complexity of family life, work and retirement, health, and community engagement. The book addresses landmark changes in laws and policies and highlights innovative developments to enhance the independence of elders. It emphasizes what an aging society means for people of all ages and generations, and the causes and consequences of pervasive ageism. Provocative essays explore contemporary ethical, legal, and social issues. Especially written for courses in social gerontology and sociology of aging, the book is also valuable for curricula in social work, allied health, and the ever-growing range of disciplines and professions that are affected by individual and population aging. The sixth edition offers several new features to enhance the teaching and learning experiences, including Stop and Think boxes to foster curiosity, critical thinking, and personal connections to the ideas; bullet-point summaries to reinforce chapter takeaways; and an updated and expanded Instructor’s Manual. Purchase includes digital access for use on most mobile devices or computers. New to the Sixth Edition: Draws attention to the influence of the life course on aging Discusses how aging impacts people of all ages and generations Explores what the changing behaviors and attitudes of younger cohorts might mean for the future of aging Leverages a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens to understand variability and inequality in aging Provides updated knowledge about family life, work and retirement, health, community engagement, and ageism Highlights landmark changes in laws and policies that affect aging, such as evolving health care policies and laws related to intergenerational obligations Describes innovative models and interventions to enhance the independence and integration of elders in their communities Incorporates new content and provocative essays on contemporary ethical, legal, and social issues Key Features: Presents information in straightforward, engaging prose that seamlessly integrates bodies of evidence Highlights how aging is often a shared experience resulting from interactions with a complex set of social forces Demonstrates how the aging of individuals and entire generations occurs within layers of social context Probes causes of variability and inequality in aging across social categories Reveals the presence and consequences of ageism for individuals and societies Looks in-depth at aging in America with an eye to a global context Introduces and applies contemporary theories of aging to specific topics to demonstrate their utility for aging science and practice

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Across the life course, new forms of community, ways of keeping in contact, and practices for engaging in work, healthcare, retail, learning and leisure are evolving rapidly. This book examines how developments in smart phones, the Internet, cloud computing, and online social networking are redefining experiences and expectations around growing older in the twenty-first century. Drawing on contributions from leading commentators and researchers across the world, this book explores key themes such as caregiving, the use of social media, robotics, chronic disease and dementia management, gaming, migration, and data inheritance, to name a few.

Presenting current research in an innovative text-reader format, Aging: Concepts and Controversies, Ninth Edition encourages students to become involved and take an informed stand on the major aging issues we face as a society. Not simply a summary of research literature, Harry R. Moody and Jennifer R. Sasser’s text focuses on controversies and questions, rather than on assimilating facts or arriving at a single "correct" view about aging and older people. Drawing on their extensive expertise, the authors first provide an overview of aging in three domains: aging over the life course, health care, and the socioeconomic aspects of aging. Each section is followed by a series of edited readings, offering different perspectives from experts and specialists on that subject. New readings focus on whether current federal spending on the elderly is sustainable and fair to other groups, how older consumers are reshaping the business landscape, and the challenges of marketing and selling to customers 60 and over. More emphasis is placed on how social class and inequality earlier in life can shape our final years and the number of older Americans living in poverty. The section on Aging and Health Care has been thoroughly updated to reflect the latest data about chronic diseases that affect the elderly, government spending on health care, and policy changes to programs like Medicaid and Medicare. The section on the Social and Economic Outlook for an Aging Society gives the most current picture of the racial and ethnic diversity of older Americans, their participation in the labor force, and their income and wealth.

"This book is exemplary in amassing demographic, policy, and sociopsychological data from around the world to refute both premises: that countriesí aging is not occurring in developing nations and that aging of the population presents intractable predicaments. The content of the book is rich with current information seldom accumulated into one source. For a scholar of aging studies, the topics are comprehensive, including demographics, political systems, health and long-term care provision, employment/retirement, and formal and informal support systems. Structurally, the book adds value with the inclusion of Web resources and a robust index. The design is conducive for a classroom setting by incorporating discussion questions and key words at the end of each chapter." -- Dr. Carol A. Gosselink, PsycCritiques Using a comparative, cross-national perspective, Global Aging: Comparative Perspectives on Aging and the Life Course explores the major topics in social gerontology worldwide and the demands that the aging population places on a society. This comprehensive and timely guide includes contributions from international gerontology scholars and illustrates both universal and socioculturally unique aspects of aging across nations. It is organized thematically for ease of use and includes an abundance of photographs and illustrations to highlight key points. Key features: Discussions on various nations' policies and programs designed to meet the unique needs of an older population An essay on pension and income maintenance policies and programs An analysis of the role of local and national governments, as well as non-governmental organizations, in serving older adults Case studies on specific aspects of aging: family life, caregiving, policies and politics, health and long-term care, and work and retirement The most current demographic data on aging around the world

Aging & the Life Course: Social & Cultural Contexts provides an accessible, up-to-date introduction to the study of aging and the life course from a distinctly sociological perspective. It explores the sociocultural dimensions of aging while encouraging critical thinking about the diversity of aging experiences, societal attitudes toward older adults, the politics and economics of growing old, and end-of-life resources. Throughout the text, Deborah Lowry emphasizes the relevance of the material for working with older populations, understanding social policy and policy debates, improving communities, relating to others, and understanding ourselves. Organized into four major sections, Part I introduces students to fundamental demographic, sociological, and life course concepts; part II explores the experiences and conditions of aging, especially in particular groups; and part III presents current research on older adults’ engagement in work, family, social networks, and sex. Finally, Part IV addresses themes of aging and social change.

Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences, Seventh Edition, provides extensive reviews and critical evaluations of research on the social aspects of aging. It also makes available major references and identifies high-priority topics for future research. The book is organized into four parts. Part 1 reviews developments in the field of age and the life course (ALC) studies and presents guidelines on conducting cohort analysis. Part 2 covers the demographic aspects of aging; longevity trends; disability and aging; and stratification and inequality research. Part 3 includes chapters that examine socioeconomic position and racial/ethnic disparities in health at older ages; the role of social factors in the distribution, antecedents, and consequences of depression; and aspects of private wealth transfers and the changing nature of family gift-giving. Part 4 deals with pension reform in Europe; the political activities of older Americans; the future of retirement security; and gender differences in old age. The Handbook is intended for researchers, professional practitioners, and students in the field of aging. It can also serve as a basic reference tool for scholars, professionals, and others who are not presently engaged in research and practice directly focused on aging and the aged. - Contains all the main areas of social science gerontological research in one volume - Begins with a section on theory and methods - Edited by one of the fathers of gerontology (Binstock) and contributors represent top scholars in gerontology

What does it mean to grow old in America today? Is 'successful aging' our responsibility? What will happen if we fail to 'grow old gracefully'? Especially for women, the onus on the aging population in the United States is growing rather than diminishing. Gender, race, and sexual orientation have been reinterpreted as socially constructed phenomena, yet aging is still seen through physically constructed lenses. The second edition of Margaret Cruikshank's Learning to Be Old helps put aging in a new light, neither romanticizing nor demonizing it. Featuring new research and analysis, expanded sections on gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender aging and critical gerontology, and an updated chapter on feminist gerontology, the second edition even more thoroughly than the first looks at the variety of different forces affecting the progress of aging. Cruikshank pays special attention to the fears and taboos, multicultural traditions, and the medicalization and politicization of natural processes that inform our understanding of age. Through it all, we learn a better way to inhabit our age whatever it is.

Putting gender in a lifespan context, Hatch (sociology, U. of Kentucky) atypically accents the gains as well as losses of aging and sex differences in adaptation overall, to the death of a spouse, and to retirement. From the multifactored theoretical perspectives of symbolic interactionism and polit

This volume focuses on the experience of growing old as it is linked to societal factors. Ryff and Marshall construct this "macro" view of aging in society by bridging disciplines and brining together contributors from all the social sciences. The book is organized into three sections: theoretical perspectives, socioeconomic structures, and contexts of self and society. Leading psychologists, anthropologists, gerontologists, and sociologists present theoretical and empirical advances that forge links between the individual and the social aspects of aging. It is must reading for researchers in all gerontologic specialties, and a valuable text for graduate courses in human development, psychology of aging, and other social aspects of aging.