The Futures of Old Age / Edition 1

by John A Vincent, Chris Phillipson, Murna Downs

Overview

Prepared by the British Society of Gerontology, The Futures of Old Age brings together twenty-one leading UK and US gerontologists, drawing on their expertise and research. The book's seven sections deal with key contemporary themes, including population aging, households and families, health, wealth, pensions, migration, inequalities, gender, and self and identity in later life. The Futures of Old Age is thought-provoking reading for anyone studying aging, especially for those attending courses in gerontology and related areas, as well as for those concerned with the development of social and economic policy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781412901086
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	06/02/2006
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.57(d)

About the Author

am currently working on ‘anti-ageing medicine', death and immortality and the insights they provide for the cultural construction of old age . These studies identify a crisis in understanding ‘old age' which stems from significant advances in the control and manipulation of biological ageing. Claims to the technical ability to control the human ageing process are far from new but challenging issues about the meaning of old age arise with the prospect of significantly enhanced longevity claimed by contemporary bio-gerontology. I have written journal articles, chapters and given seminars on the significance of the biologisation of old age many of which can be accessed from this page.

Chris Phillipson is Professor of Applied Social Studies and Social Gerontology at Keele University.

Table of Contents

Introduction
PART ONE: THE FUTURE OF THE LIFE COURSE
Visions of Later Life - Andrew Blaikie
Golden Cohort to Generation Z
Future ‘Conflicts' across Generations and Cohorts? - Vern L Bengtson and Norella M Putney
Developments in the Life Course - Dale Dannefer and Casey Miklowski
PART TWO: THE FUTURE OF SOCIAL DIFFERENTIATION
Ageing and Social Class - Alan Walker and Liam Foster
An Enduring Relationship
Gender and Later Life - Sara Arber
Change, Choice and Constraints
Ethnicity and Old Age - James Nazroo
PART THREE: THE FUTURE OF RETIREMENT AND PENSIONS
The Future of Inequalities in Retirement Income - Debora Price and Jay Ginn
Will the Baby-Boomers be Better off than Their Parents in Retirement? - Maria Evandrou and Jane Falkingham
The Future of Stock Market Pensions - Richard Minns
PART FOUR: THE FUTURE FOR ‘SELF' IN OLD AGE
Ageing Selves and Others - Simon Biggs
Distinctiveness and Uniformity in the Struggle for Intergenerational Solidarity
Biographical Work and the Future of the Ageing Self - Jaber F Gubrium and James A Holstein
Ageing and Belief - Between Tradition and Change - Peter G Coleman, Marie A Mills and Peter Speck
PART FIVE: THE FUTURE FOR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING IN OLD AGE
Will Our Old Age be Healthier? - Christina Victor
Is there a Better Future for People with Dementia and their Families? - Murna Downs and Errollyn Bruce
The Future of Well-Being - John Bond and Lynne Corner
Quality of Life of Older People in the 21st Century
PART SIX: THE FUTURE OF FAMILY AND LIVING ARRANGEMENTS FOR OLDER PEOPLE
The Ageing of Family Life Transitions - Sarah Harper
Flying Solo in Old Age - Kate Davidson
Widowed and Divorced Men and Women in Later Life
Housing and Future Living Arrangements - Sheila Peace
PART SEVEN: GLOBALIZATION AND THE FUTURE OF OLD AGE
Anti-Ageing Science and the Future of Old Age - John Vincent
Ageing and Globalization - Chris Phillipson
The Future Life Course, Migration and Old Age - Tony Warnes

Editorial Reviews

‘The greatest strengths of this book are it's breadth of aging-related topics and its ability to provoke thought in the reader. The presentation of both British and American perspectives on elder issues will aid researchers in developing broader perspectives for their work and more sophisticated research questions. As lengthening life spans challenge society to extend it's understanding of late-life development, issues of aging are becoming some of the most important for social scientists to examine, and The Futures of Old Age offers a significant contribution to this field of study.' - Psych Critiques

From the Publisher