Aging and the Life Course: An Introduction to Social Gerontology

Aging and the Life Course is a comprehensive interdisciplinary text in social gerontology. It provides students with a firm grounding in methodological and theoretical issues associated with aging and examines changes in social roles, relationships and the biological and psychological process that occur as people grow older. It also considers all major life transitions including retirement, widowhood, grandparenting, and changes in living arrangements. In addition, this text considers the economic and political issues that influence the context in which people grow old. Although the primary focus is on the U.S., considerable material on aging worldwide is included. Unique features include four featured boxes, a life course perspective and an emphasis on inequality by race, ethnicity and gender.