Aging and the Life Course: An Introduction to Social Gerontology

Cover Page......Page 1
Half Title Page......Page 2
Title Page......Page 4
Copyright Page......Page 5
About the Author......Page 8
Brief Contents......Page 10
Table of Content......Page 12
Preface......Page 18
Part One DEFINING THE FIELD......Page 22
1 The Field of Social Gerontology......Page 23
Conceptual Issues in Research on Aging......Page 25
Aging Around the World: Successful Aging on the Israeli Kibbutz......Page 26
Defining Old Age......Page 27
Cohorts and Generations......Page 29
Forms of Ageism......Page 31
An Issue for Public Policy: Eradicating Ageism in Health Care......Page 32
Perpetuating Ageism through the Media......Page 33
Diversity in the Aging Experience: Gender and the Double Standard of Aging......Page 34
Marital Status......Page 36
Income and Poverty......Page 39
Education......Page 40
The Gerontological Specialist......Page 41
Expanding Career Opportunities......Page 42
Becoming a Gerontological Specialist......Page 43
2 Life Course Transitions......Page 47
The Life Course Framework......Page 49
Age, Period, and Cohort Effects......Page 50
Cross-Sectional Research......Page 51
Longitudinal Research......Page 52
The Timing of Life Course Events......Page 53
The Duration of Life Course Events......Page 55
The Sequencing of Life Course Events......Page 56
The Effect of Early Experiences on Adult Outcomes......Page 57
Aging Around the World: The Effect of Military Service on German Veterans of World War II......Page 58
Demographic Change and Middle Age......Page 59
How Government Influences the Life Course......Page 60
An Issue for Public Policy: Defining the Transition to Old Age......Page 61
Diversity in the Aging Experience: Gender Inequality Across the Life Course......Page 62
3 Theories of Aging......Page 67
The Origins of Social Gerontology......Page 70
Psychosocial Theories......Page 71
In Their Own Words: An Older Gay Man Struggles to Stay Engaged......Page 72
The Individual and the Social System......Page 74
Diversity in the Aging Experience: Religion and Personal Well-Being......Page 75
Social Constructionism......Page 77
Age and Social Status......Page 78
Aging Around the World: Veneration of the Aged in Traditional Society......Page 81
Theories of Power and Inequality......Page 84
An Issue for Public Policy: Structural Lag and Age-Friendly Communities......Page 85
Critical Gerontology......Page 87
4 Demography of Aging......Page 91
Sources of Population Data......Page 93
Population Aging......Page 94
The Demographic Transition......Page 95
International Variations in Population Aging......Page 97
Aging Around the World: Population Aging and Terrorism......Page 98
Dependency Ratios......Page 99
Fertility......Page 100
Mortality......Page 103
Diversity in the Aging Experience: Gender Differences in Life Expectancy......Page 104
Migration......Page 105
Dependency Ratio......Page 106
Life Expectancy......Page 107
An Issue for Public Policy: Should SSI for Refugees Be Restored?......Page 108
The U.S. Sex Ratio......Page 110
Part Two INTERDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVES ON AGING......Page 114
5 Old Age and the Welfare State......Page 115
Public Assistance......Page 117
Fiscal Welfare......Page 118
Income Support......Page 119
In Their Own Words: Surviving on Social Security......Page 122
Aging Around the World: Restructuring Public Pension Programs in Europe......Page 124
Health Care......Page 125
An Issue for Public Policy: How the Affordable Care Act of 2010 Affects Medicare......Page 126
Support for the Disabled......Page 128
Long-Term Care......Page 129
Social Services......Page 132
Diversity in the Aging Experience: The Use of Community Long-Term-Care Services among Elderly Korean Americans......Page 134
The Age versus Need Debate......Page 135
6 Biological Perspectives on Aging......Page 139
Environmental Theories of Aging......Page 141
Developmental/Genetic Theories of Aging......Page 142
The Aging Body......Page 144
Diversity in the Aging Experience: Life Expectancy and Health Behaviors among Mormons......Page 145
Aging Around the World: International Variations in Active Life Expectancy......Page 146
Aging of the Exterior Body: Skin and Hair......Page 147
Aging of the Nervous System......Page 148
Aging of the Sensory Organs......Page 151
An Issue for Public Policy: Should the Driving of Older People Be Restricted?......Page 153
Aging of the Skeletal System: Bones, Cartilage, and Connective Tissues......Page 156
In Their Own Words: Living with Osteoporosis......Page 158
Aging of the Muscular System: Muscle Mass and Strength......Page 159
Aging of the Reproductive System......Page 160
Aging of the Cardiovascular System: Heart and Blood Vessels......Page 161
7 Psychological Perspectives on Aging......Page 167
Creativity and Wisdom......Page 169
Intelligence......Page 170
Learning and Memory......Page 173
An Issue for Public Policy: Should There Be Mandatory Retirement for Airline Pilots?......Page 174
Dementias......Page 176
In Their Own Words: Adjusting to Living with Alzheimer’s Disease......Page 179
Depression......Page 180
Diversity in the Aging Experience: Racial Differences in Depression in Later Life......Page 181
Personality and Aging......Page 182
Personality and Coping......Page 183
Erikson’s Theory of Identity Development......Page 184
Transitions through Adulthood......Page 185
An Evaluation of Stage Theories......Page 189
Part Three SOCIAL ASPECTS OF AGING......Page 192
8 Family Relationships and Social Support Systems......Page 193
Defining the Concept of Social Suppor......Page 195
Changing Family Structure and Social Support Systems......Page 196
Marital Satisfaction over the Life Course......Page 197
Marital Quality and Health......Page 199
Gender and Marriage......Page 200
Parent–Child Relationships......Page 201
Social Interaction and Exchange......Page 202
Diversity in the Aging Experience: Racial and Ethnic Variations in Filial Responsibility......Page 204
The Effect of Divorce......Page 205
Aging Around the World: Parent–Child Relationships among Chinese and Korean Immigrants to the United States......Page 206
The Unmarried Elderly......Page 207
In Their Own Words: Deciding to Remarry......Page 208
Grandparenthood......Page 209
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren......Page 210
The Quality of the Grandparent–Grandchild Relationship......Page 211
Grandparenting after Divorce......Page 212
An Issue for Public Policy: Should Grandparents Have Visitation Rights after a Divorce?......Page 213
Friends and Social Support Systems......Page 215
Patterns of Friendship......Page 216
Dating in Later Life......Page 218
9 Living Arrangements......Page 221
Household Structure......Page 223
Geographic Mobility......Page 224
Aging in Place......Page 226
Home Ownership......Page 227
Housing Quality......Page 229
Alternative Living Arrangements......Page 231
Assisted Living......Page 232
Continuing Care Retirement Communities......Page 235
An Issue for Public Policy: The “Money Follows the Person” Demonstration......Page 236
In Their Own Words: Staying Independent in a Senior Apartment Complex......Page 237
10 Work and Retirement......Page 243
Labor Force Participation of Men......Page 245
Labor Force Participation of Women......Page 246
International Trends in Labor Force Participation......Page 247
Diversity in the Aging Experience: Racial and Ethnic Differences in Labor Force Participation......Page 248
Bridge Jobs......Page 249
Contingent Work......Page 250
Age Discrimination......Page 251
Aging Around the World: Age Discrimination in Great Britain......Page 253
Economic Incentives......Page 254
An Issue for Public Policy: Elimination of the Earnings Test for Social Security Recipients......Page 255
Retirement as an Individual Decision......Page 256
Future Trends in Retirement......Page 258
Satisfaction with Retirement......Page 259
Daily Activities and Health......Page 261
Volunteering......Page 262
Religious Participation......Page 265
Part Four HEALTH ASPECTS OF LATER LIFE......Page 268
11 Health and Health Care......Page 269
Stages of the Epidemiologic Transition......Page 271
The Compression of Morbidity Thesis......Page 272
Health Lifestyles......Page 273
Aging Around the World: Patterns of Lung Cancer Death Rates in European Women......Page 275
In Their Own Words: Staying Healthy through Activity......Page 276
Social Support Systems......Page 277
Socioeconomic Status......Page 278
Gender......Page 280
Race and Ethnicity......Page 281
Diversity in the Aging Experience: The Puzzle of Hypertension among African Americans......Page 282
Health Care Providers and the Elderly......Page 284
The Organization of Health Care......Page 285
An Issue for Public Policy: Benefits for Seniors in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010......Page 287
12 Caring for the Frail Elderly......Page 291
A Profile of Caregiving......Page 293
Gender Differences in Caregiving......Page 295
Caregiver Burden......Page 296
Work and Caregiving......Page 297
Caregiving and Family Relationships......Page 298
Home and Community-Based Services......Page 301
Diversity in the Aging Experience: Caregiving Experiences of Gays and Lesbians......Page 302
Race, Ethnicity, and Long-Term Care......Page 304
Private Long-Term-Care Insurance......Page 305
Staff Turnover in Long-Term Care......Page 306
An Issue for Public Policy: Staff Levels and Quality of Care in Nursing Homes......Page 307
Access to Nursing Home Care......Page 308
The Nursing Home as Total Institution......Page 309
In Their Own Words: Rescuing a Christmas Ritual......Page 313
13 Dying, Death, and Bereavement......Page 317
Death in Non-Western Cultures......Page 319
Preparing for Death......Page 321
A Stage Theory of Dying......Page 322
The Right to Die......Page 323
An Issue for Public Policy: End-of-Life Decisions in Intensive Care Units......Page 325
Hospice Care......Page 326
Widowhood......Page 330
Aging Around the World: End-of-Life Care in France......Page 331
Diversity in the Aging Experience: The Death of a Same-Sex Partner......Page 334
The Death of a Parent......Page 335
Part Five AGING AND SOCIETY......Page 340
14 The Economics of Aging......Page 341
Aging Policy and the Economy......Page 343
Today’s Older Generation......Page 344
The Aging of the Baby Boomers......Page 346
Diversity in the Aging Experience: Making Tough Choices after the Stock Market Collapse......Page 347
The Status of Social Security......Page 348
Restoring the Trust Fund......Page 351
Means Testing......Page 353
Privatization......Page 354
Employer Pensions......Page 355
Aging Around the World: Strategies for Reducing Public Pensions......Page 356
Personal Savings......Page 358
An Issue for Public Policy: Should Pension Plans Be Invested in Employer Stocks?......Page 359
In Their Own Words: A Secure Retirement through Long-Term Planning......Page 360
15 Poverty and Inequality......Page 365
The Theory of Cumulative Disadvantage......Page 367
Income and Poverty......Page 368
Patterns of Gender Inequality......Page 370
Inequality in Social Security Income......Page 371
An Issue for Public Policy: Social Security and Divorce......Page 375
Aging Around the World: Welfare State Restructuring for Gender Equity......Page 377
Inequality in Employer Pension Coverage......Page 378
Diversity in the Aging Experience: Sex and 401(k) Plans......Page 379
Racial and Ethnic Variations among the Aged......Page 380
16 The Politics of Aging......Page 389
Political Activism among the Elderly......Page 390
Voting......Page 391
An Issue for Public Policy: Has Support for Social Security Declined?......Page 393
Interest Group Politics......Page 396
Social Movement Politics......Page 399
Aging Around the World: Politics by Stealth: Reducing Public Pensions in France......Page 400
The Aged as Political Office Holders......Page 401
Diversity in the Aging Experience: The Red Hat Society......Page 402
Other Forms of Political Involvement......Page 403
In Their Own Words: Reminiscences of a Lifelong Activist......Page 404
The Generational Equity Debate......Page 405
The Entitlement Crisis......Page 407
The Ownership Society......Page 408
Glossary......Page 411
References......Page 422
Acknowledgments......Page 472
Photo Credits......Page 476
Author Index......Page 478
Subject Index......Page 490
Back Cover......Page 514