Old People in Three Industrial Societies

by Ethel Shanas, Peter Townsend, Dorothy Wedderburn, Henning Kristian Friis, Poul Milhoj

Overview

Robert and Helen Lynd's Middletown set the format in sociological theory and practice for hundreds of studies in the decades following its publication in 1929. Old People in Three Industrial Societies may well set similar standards for studies in its field for many years to come. In addition to achieving a signifi cant breakthrough in the progress of socio logical research techniques, the book offers a monumental cross-cultural exposition of the health, family relationships, and social and economic status of the aged in three countries-the United States, Britain, and Denmark.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780202309507
Publisher:	Transaction Publishers
Publication date:	07/15/2007
Pages:	492
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Ethel Shanas, Peter Townsend, Dorothy Wedderburn, Henning Kristian Friis, Poul Milhoj, Jan Stehouwer

Table of Contents

Preface 1 Old People in Three Industrial Societies: An Introduction 2 Health and Incapacity in Later Life 3 The Psychology of Health 4 Medical Services 5 Welfare Services and the Family 6 The Structure of the Family 7 The Household and Family Relations of Old People 8 The Family and Social Class 9 Isolation, Desolation , and Loneliness 10 Work and Retirement 11 The Meaning of Work 12 The Financial Resources of Older People: A General Review 13 The Characteristics of Low Income Receivers and the Role of Government 14 Summary and Conclusion

Editorial Reviews

The book contains an invaluable stock of information, clearly and methodically presented, on the physical and mental health, the disabilities and activities, and the treatment by medical and welfare services of people aged 65 and above. There is an elaborate study of work and retirement by Poul Milhoj, an excellent account of the financial position of the elderly by Dorothy Wedderburn and a carefully balanced assessment by Peter Townsend of the evidence about isolation and loneliness.” —T. H. Marshall, The British Journal of Sociology “[T]his study has provided a mine of useful new information…. Anyone concerned with problems of the aged, as well as those interested in such subjects as kinship, the life cycle, or the labor force will find this book most valuable…. [T]he authors have produced a work that will be a valuable reference source for years to come.” —Elaine Cumming, American Sociological Review “[This book] will be used for its value as a rich source of data on the aging population as seen from a cross-national viewpoint.” —Bernard Kutner, Social Forces “This excellent comparative cross-national survey of those old people living at home in Denmark, Britain, and the United States contains a wealth of new data…. For sociologists interested in good data about the similarities among urban-industrial societies, in cross-national comparative research and particularly for family sociologists, this book marks the beginning of a new stage in sociological research and publication. This appears to be the report of a harmonious international professional team. It should be widely read as a clear exposition of survey data.” —John Mogey, American Journal of Sociology

From the Publisher