Aging, Society, and the Life Course / Edition 5

by Leslie A. Morgan PhD, Suzanne R. Kunkel PhD

Overview

[This] book's unfading preoccupation with social context, social processes, and social structures distinguishes itself and greatly contributes to the discourse in gerontology.

—The Gerontologist

This classic text, now in its fifth edition, is distinguished by its emphasis on social context, social processes, and social structures as part of a broader understanding of the sociology of aging and the life course. Presenting an objective view of the realities of aging, both positive and negative, the book examines aging from micro/macro, personal, community, societal, and global perspectives. This fifth edition describes important changes in the field of social gerontology and the growth in such topics as diversity, global aging, and the life course. It addresses major shifts in public policy, social institutions, and aging-related programming initiatives. There is a strong focus on the changing landscape of aging, particularly in regard to social engagement, employment and lifelong learning, enhanced health and independence, and livable communities for people of all ages. Additionally, the book includes new information on the Affordable Care Act and end-of-life issues.

The text is uniquely organized, featuring theoretical discussions in each chapter and topical essays between chapters. Critical thinking and review questions foster an in-depth understanding of the material. Written in an engaging style, the text is for graduate and upper-level undergraduate students; it is also used effectively in introductory gerontology classes. In addition to an Instructor's Manual, the fifth edition now includes Power- Point slides.

NEW TO THE FIFTH EDITION:

• Provides updated data on aging and baby boomers in the United States and worldwide
• Presents expanded focus on baby boomers'; impact on the larger society
• Discusses major public policy changes and innovative services and programs affecting older adults
• Uses detailed examples to illustrate the challenges of sorting out age, period, and cohort effects in research on aging
• Covers the Affordable Care Act and up-to-date information on Medicare
• Features new information on end-of-life issues
• Presents provocative essays on positive and contemporary issues not typically covered, including love, sex, creativity, media representations, LGBT aging, and crime
• Focuses on enhanced health and independence and aging-in-place initiatives
• Provides learning objectives in each chapter and web-based extracurricular activities
• Includes PowerPoint slides in addition to an Instructor's Manual

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780826121721
Publisher:	Springer Publishing Company
Publication date:	07/20/2015
Edition description:	Older Edition
Pages:	416
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.80(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Leslie A. Morgan, PhD, codirector of the Gerontology Doctoral Program, and professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).

Suzanne Kunkel, PhD, is University Distinguished Professor of Gerontology and Executive Director of the Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University. Her research is broadly focused on the social determinants of health, including the system of programs and services designed to support older adults in their goals to remain healthy, active, and engaged in their communities for as long as they choose. She has been supported by more than $7.5 million in external research funding to assess the implementation and effectiveness of these programs, including innovations such as consumer self-direction and dementia-friendly communities, and the role of cross-sectoral organizational partnerships in enhancing population health. Dr. Kunkel has published widely on the results of these projects, and on gerontology education. With Frank Whittington and Kate de Medeiros, she authored the second edition of Global Aging: Comparative Perspectives on Aging and the Life Course, a Springer textbook released in 2020. Kunkel is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE); she has served as President of AGHE, and Treasurer of GSA. She is the recipient of the Clark Tibbitts Award for contributions to the advancement of gerontology as a field of study.

Read an Excerpt

chapter

Table of Contents

Leslie A. Morgan, PhD, codirector of the Gerontology Doctoral Program, and professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). Dr. Morgan has 35 years of experience in teaching and research in aging and has published on a variety of topics, from economic well-being and family relationships to assisted living. She has authored or coauthored five books and numerous articles. Dr. Morgan has been principal or coprincipal investigator on several NIH-funded studies of life in assisted living, examining the quality of resident experience and transitions among residents.

Suzanne R. Kunkel, PhD, is the director of Scripps Gerontology Center and professor in the Department of Sociology and Gerontology at Miami University. Dr. Kunkel has 30 years of experience in research and teaching in gerontology. She is the grateful recipient of the 2015 Clark Tibbitts Award from the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education. Dr. Kunkel has published more than 40 articles, books, and book chapters, and more than 30 research monographs on the aging network, innovations in the delivery of home care, population projections, global aging, and gerontology education. Along with colleagues Frank Whittington and J. Scott Brown, Kunkel published a Springer textbook, Global Aging, in 2014.

Preface

Acknowledgments

1. AGING AND SOCIETY

Learning Objectives

Dimensions of Aging

Physical Aging

Psychological Aging

Social Aging

Societal Aging

Ways of Categorizing People by Age

Chronological Age

Functional Age

Life Stage

The Rise of Old Age as a Social Category

Generational Consciousness

The Aging Population as a Social Force

The Life Course and Old Age

Social Perspectives on Aging

The Sociological Imagination

The Growth of Gerontology as a Field of Study and Practice

Summary

Web Exercise

Key Terms

Questions for Thought and Discussion

2. STUDYING AGING

Learning Objectives

Why Do We Conduct Research?

The Role of Theory

How Do We Conduct Research on Aging?

Age as a Variable

Separating Age, Period, and Cohort Effects

Methods Targeted to Research on Aging

Longitudinal/Panel Studies

Secondary Analysis

Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods

Event History Analysis

Life History and Reminiscence

Other Special Issues in Studying Aging

Cohort-Centrism, Dynamism, and Limits of Current Knowledge

Applying Theory: Cohort Size and Life Chances: The Easterlin Hypothesis

Sociology of Science

Research Activism

Summary

Web Exercise

Key Terms

Questions for Thought and Discussion

TOPICAL ESSAY. IRONIES OF CRIME: SILVER-HAIRED VICTIMS AND CRIMINALS

3. AN AGING WORLD: DEMOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVES

Learning Objectives

The Aging of Societies

Global Aging

How Do Populations Age?

Applying Theory: Demographic Transition Theory

Measures of Population Aging

Demographic Characteristics of the U.S. Aging Population

Living Arrangements

Geographic Distribution

Gender Composition

Increasing Racial and Ethnic Diversity

Centenarians

Interpreting and Using Demographic Data

The Fallacy of the Demographic Imperative

Summary

Web Exercise

Key Terms

Questions for Thought and Discussion

4. THE AGING INDIVIDUAL IN SOCIAL CONTEXT

Learning Objectives

Setting the Stage: Psychology of Aging

Human Development and Aging

Social Context, Life Course, and Individual Aging

Successful Aging: The Role of Social Factors

Environmental Gerontology

Social Context

The Life Course

Social Roles

Age Norms

Structural Lag

Life Course Perspective in Gerontology

Analyzing Theory: The Emergence of Developmental Science

Summary

Web Exercise

Key Terms

Questions for Thought and Discussion

TOPICAL ESSAY. CREATIVITY AND AGE: THE REAL STORY

5. AGING AND THE FAMILY: PERSONAL AND INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXTS

Learning Objectives

The Family as an Institution

The Meanings of Generation

Core Norms and Expectations of Family Relationships

Independence and Dependence

Voluntarism and Obligation

Families as Personal Networks

Applying Theory: Family Life Cycle Theory and Individual Dependency in the Family

Strengths in Later-Life Families

Continuity and Change in Later-Life Families

Key Familial Roles and Relationships

Spouses/Aging Couples

Grandparents

Families as Caregivers

Context of Caregiving: Family Norms of Mutual Assistance

Intergenerational Support

Family Members as Caregivers to Frail Elders

Caregiver Burden and Rewards

Involvement of Older Adults in Their Own Care

Family Conflict: Elder Abuse and Neglect

Social Change and the Family’s Future

Changes in Marriage

Changes in the Size and Shape of Families

Future Changes in the Timing of Family Life Events

Growing Complexity of Family Relations

Summary

Web Exercise

Key Terms

Questions for Thought and Discussion

6. WORK AND RETIREMENT IN THE LIFE COURSE

Learning Objectives

Employment as an Organizing Force in the Life Course

Dynamics of the Labor Force

Employment and Life Chances

The Occupational Life Cycle

Older Workers and the Dynamics of the Labor Force

Skills and Employability of Older Workers

Age Discrimination in Employment: Problems and Policies

Applying Theory: Rocking Chairs or Rock Climbing: Disengagement and Activity Theories

Defining Retirement

The Social Construction of Retirement

The Institutionalization of Retirement in the United States

The Role of Social Security

The Role of Employer Pensions

Gender and Retirement

Race, Ethnic, and Social Class Variations

The Deconstruction of Retirement?

Individual Retirement

Determinants of the Retirement Decision

Employment After Retirement—Encore and Bridge Jobs

Retirement Consequences for Individuals and Couples

Applying Theory: Continuity Theory and the “Busy Ethic”

Rethinking Work and Retirement for the Future

Changes in Policies and Political Attitudes

Changes in the Economy and the Nature of Work

Summary

Web Exercise

Key Terms

Questions for Thought and Discussion

TOPICAL ESSAY. PORTRAYAL OF OLDER MEN AND WOMEN IN MEDIA

Senjooti Roy

7. ECONOMICS AND THE AGING OF SOCIETY

Learning Objectives

The Role of Economics in Aging

Policy and the Economic Status of Older Adults

Sources of Income for Older Adults in the United States

Economic Well-Being of Older Americans

Economic Well-Being and Inequality Among Older People

Effects of Population Aging on the Economy

Applying Theory: The Stratified Life Course: Cumulative Inequality and Economic Diversity

Prospects for the Future Economic Status of the Elderly

Summary

Web Exercise

Key Terms

Questions for Thought and Discussion

TOPICAL ESSAY. E-ELDERS

8. AGING AND HEALTH: INDIVIDUALS, INSTITUTIONS, AND POLICIES

Learning Objectives

Physical Aging

The Health Status of Older People

Prevalence Rates for Chronic Conditions

Functional Ability

Self-Assessment

Mortality

Mental Health and Aging

Explaining Gender and Race Variations in Health

The U.S. Health Care System

The Medical Model of Health Care

Elements of the Health Care System

Access and Utilization

Financing Health Care for Older Americans

Applying Theory: The Political Economy of Health Care Access

Long-Term Care in the United States

Summary

Web Exercise

Key Terms

Questions for Thought and Discussion

TOPICAL ESSAY. ANTIAGING: COSMETICS AND AESTHETICS

Senjooti Roy

9. POLITICS, GOVERNMENT, AND AGING IN AMERICA

Learning Objectives

The Social Construction of Old Age and the Welfare State

The Older Americans Act: A Legacy of Compassionate Ageism

Policy Debates and the Social Construction of Old Age

Generational Politics: Conflict and Consensus

The Potential for Generational Conflict

The Generational Equity Debate

The Battle Over Social Security

The Debate on Age and Need Entitlements

Rethinking Age-Based Policies?

Aging and Political Behavior

Age Norms and Rules for Political Participation

Age, Period, and Cohort Effects on Political Behavior

Working the Political System: Age-Based Advocacy

Applying Theory: Age Stratification Theory

Summary

Web Exercise

Key Terms

Questions for Thought and Discussion

10. GLOBAL AGING With J. SCOTT BROWN

Learning Objectives

Global Aging and Regional Economies

Level-of-Development Designations

Demographic Overview of Global Aging

Speed of Population Aging

Demographic Dividends

Cultural Traditions, Population Aging, and Social Change

China: One-Child Policy

Germany: Inverted Pyramid

Kenya: Health Challenges

Aging and the Welfare State

History of the Welfare State

Program Types and Eligibility

Welfare State and the Role of the Family

Applying Theory: Modernization Theory

The Study of Global Aging

Comparative Methods

International Initiatives on Aging

Summary

Web Exercise

Key Terms

Questions for Thought and Discussion

TOPICAL ESSAY. GREYING OF THE RAINBOW: LGBT AGING

Colleen R. Bennett

11. BABY BOOMERS AND THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF AGING

Learning Objectives

Cohort Flow and Changing Aging

Who Are the Baby Boomers?

Characteristics of the Baby Boomer Cohort

Generational Characteristics

New Landscapes of Aging

The Third Age: A New Phase of the Life Course

Productive Aging: Expanded Opportunities, Altered Expectations

Workforce Needs for an Aging Society

Lifelong Learning

Summary

Web Exercise

Key Terms

Questions for Thought and Discussion

12. THE DYNAMICS OF AGING IN OUR FUTURE

Learning Objectives

Aging in a Changing Social World

Rethinking Old Age and the Life Course

Long-Term Changes in Aging: Beyond the Boomers

Growth and Change: The Aging of the Older Population

Centenarians

Changing Family Structures: Implications for Care and Relationships

Changes in Health: Incremental Changes and Breakthroughs

The Risks of Prediction

The Uniqueness of Aging in Each Cohort

Challenges and Opportunities for the Field

Disciplinary Frameworks

Micro/Macro Distinctions: Implications for Policy and Practice

Firming our Theoretical Foundations

Addressing Diversity

Transforming Knowledge to Inform Policy and Practice

Your Future Aging Self

Summary

Web Exercise

Key Terms

Questions for Thought and Discussion

References

Index

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Gary B Kaniuk, PsyD (Cermak Health Services)
Description: This book describes how society impacts the aging process, taking both a micro and macro perspective to better understand how people negotiate the various age-related stages. The previous edition was published in 2006.
Purpose: According to the authors, "our original and continued purpose in writing this book has been to provide a new type of textbook on the social aspects of human aging — one that is neither encyclopedic in its coverage of research findings nor overly weighted down with jargon."
Audience: It is intended for both undergraduate and graduate courses. Leslie A. Morgan is associate dean at the Erickson School of Aging Studies at the University of Maryland, and Suzanne R. Kunkel is the director of Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University.
Features: The book begins with a discussion of physical aging, psychological aging, and social aging (social meaning). The authors also discuss population aging through population pyramids (age/sex structure), dependency ratios, and aging index. Much time is spent describing aging within a social context, especially in the family. How people deal with work and retirement is an important issue, though many are finding the need to work until they are much older. Global aging is an important topic, and the book explores this issue in China, Germany, and Kenya. Finally, the book discusses the baby boomer generation and how they are aging, as well as policy issues in the future. The chapters are organized fairly uniformly with text, summary, Web Wise (relevant websites), key terms, and questions for thought and discussion. Wonderful exhibits help clarify the text, as do the "applying theory" shaded boxes. Particularly helpful are the "Questions for Thought and Discussion" at the end of each chapter.
Assessment: The book is easy to read and will pique the interest of undergraduates. Professors can easily have the class read through this book in one quarter or semester. The fourth edition was necessary to incorporate new material and updates because there has been a great deal of research in the intervening five years.

Doody's Review Service