Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences, Ninth Edition, provides a comprehensive synthesis of the latest research findings in the science of aging. The complexities of population dynamics, cohort succession and policy changes modify the world and its inhabitants in ways that must be vigilantly monitored. Completely revised, this edition not only includes the foundational, classic themes of aging research, but also a rich array of emerging topics and perspectives that advance the field in exciting ways. New topics include families, immigration, social factors and cognition, caregiving, neighborhoods and built environments, natural disasters, religion and health, and sexual behavior, among others.
This book will serve as a useful resource and an inspiration to those searching for ways to contribute to the aging enterprise.
Key Features
- Includes aging topics at both the micro- and macro-level
- Addresses the intersection of individual and aggregate factors
- Covers a spectrum of disciplines, including demography, economics, epidemiology, gerontology, political science, psychology, social work, sociology and statistics
- Brings together the work of almost fifty leading scholars to provide a deeper understanding of aging
Section I: Scientific Approaches and Methods
1. Frontiers of Social Science Research on Aging
Kenneth F. Ferraro
2. Ethnographic Methods for Research on Aging: Making Use of a Fundamental Toolkit for Understanding Everyday Life
Corey M. Abramson
3. Measuring Life Course Events and Life Histories
Jacqui Smith, Mengyao Hu and Haena Lee
4. Genomic Data Measures and Methods: A Primer for Social Scientists
Erin B. Ware and Jessica D. Faul
Section II: Structural Constraints and Adaptation
5. Growing Old in Low- and Middle-Income Countries in Asia
Jinkook Lee, Urvashi Jain, Dipti Govil, T. V. Sekher and Alyssa Lubet
6. Educational Attainment and Adult Health
Jennifer Karas Montez and Jennifer D. Brooks
7. Social Exclusion and Social Isolation in Later Life
Martijn Huisman and Theo G. Van Tilburg
8. The Role of the Built Environment for Healthy Aging: Barriers and Enablers
Philippa Clarke and Erica Twardzik
9. Early Origins of Racial Health Disparities: Human Capital Policy is Health Policy
Rucker C. Johnson
10. Sexuality in Later Life
Linda J. Waite and James Iveniuk
11. The Interplay of Age, Period, and Cohort Effects on Obesity and Metabolic Diseases in Later Life
Jessica A. Kelley and Roland J. Thorpe Jr.
Section III: Social Institutions
12. The Role of the Military in Women's Lives
Janet M. Wilmoth and Andrew S. London
13. Intergenerational Transfers of Time and Money over the Life Course
Emily E. Wiemers and Sung S. Park
14. Family Caregiving
Sara Honn Qualls
15. Bereavement in Later Life
Deborah Carr and Heather Mooney
16. Religion and Aging in the Global Context of Secularization: Patterns, Processes, Consequences
Ellen Idler
17. The Changing World of Work and Retirement
Kene Henkens and Hanna Van Solinge
18. Aging and Politics: Age Differences in Political Behavior in Comparative Perspective
Kaat Smets
Section IV: Aging and Social Intervention
19. Volunteering and Health in Later Life
Jeffrey A. Burr, Jan E. Mutchler and Sae Hwang Han
20. Housing Older Americans: The Challenges of Accessibility, Affordability, and Quality
Judith G. Gonyea
21. Innovations for Aging in Place
Sarah E. LaFave, Sarah L. Szanton and Laura N. Gitlin
22. Trends in Aging and Long-Term Care
Molly M. Perkins
23. Technologies and Aging: Understanding Use, Impacts, and Future Needs
Shelia R. Cotten
24. End-of-Life Medical Expenses
Eric French, John Bailey Jones, Elaine Kelly and Jeremy McCauley
Clinicians, researchers, and students in gerontology, developmental psychology, psychiatry, sociology, biology, and other related health care professions tasked with caring for the aging population
