Aging and the Life Course: Social and Cultural Contexts

by Deborah Lowry

Overview

Aging & the Life Course: Social & Cultural Contexts provides an accessible, up-to-date introduction to the study of aging and the life course from a distinctly sociological perspective. It explores the sociocultural dimensions of aging while encouraging critical thinking about the diversity of aging experiences, societal attitudes toward older adults, the politics and economics of growing old, and end-of-life resources. Throughout the text, Deborah Lowry emphasizes the relevance of the material for working with older populations, understanding social policy and policy debates, improving communities, relating to others, and understanding ourselves.

Organized into four major sections, Part I introduces students to fundamental demographic, sociological, and life course concepts; part II explores the experiences and conditions of aging, especially in particular groups; and part III presents current research on older adults’ engagement in work, family, social networks, and sex. Finally, Part IV addresses themes of aging and social change.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538143254
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	01/15/2022
Pages:	414
Product dimensions:	7.06(w) x 10.07(h) x 0.98(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Deborah Lowry is associate professor of sociology in the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the University of Montevallo, where she teaches a variety of courses including aging and the life course, social problems, introductory sociology, and contemporary Chinese society. Prior to a National Institutes of Health (NIH) postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Michigan's Population Studies Center, she earned a PhD from Michigan State University with research that investigated lived experiences of aging in a rural Chinese context.

Table of Contents

*Every chapter concludes with key terms and concepts, questions for reflection and discussion, and chapter references

Preface

PART I: FOUNDATIONS

Chapter 1: Global Contexts of Aging: A Sociological Perspective

The Demography of Aging and Why It Matters

Global Diversity in Population Aging

Government Responses to Population Aging

Constructing “the Aging Population Problem”

Who Benefits from Representations of Population Aging?

This Chapter’s Practical Applications and Everyday Relevance

Summary and Conclusion

Chapter 2: Sociological Imagination and the Life Course Perspective

The Life Course Perspective and Its Vocabulary

Central Principles of the Life Course Perspective

Key Concepts in Life Course Studies

This Chapter’s Practical Applications and Everyday Relevance

Summary and Conclusion

Chapter 3: The Social Construction of Age, Aging, and Life Stages

Age Norms

Age as a Social Identity

Social Constructs and Their Consequences for Aging

Social Construction of Life Stages

Constructing Age and Aging

This Chapter’s Practical Applications and Everyday Relevance

Summary and Conclusion

PART II: EXPERIENCES AND CONDITIONS OF LATER LIFE

Chapter 4: Sociocultural Contexts of Ageism

Defining Ageism

Ageism: Familiar but Unique

Ageism, Popular Culture, and Representations of Later Life

Negative Views of Older Adults and Later Life: Theoretical Explanations

Ageism: Real Consequences

Practical Steps: Resisting “the Last Acceptable Ism”

This Chapter’s Practical Applications and Everyday Relevance

Summary and Conclusion

Chapter 5: Aging, Health, and Wellbeing: Central Concepts and

Sociological Approaches

The Social Causes of Health and Illness Model

Sociological Explanations for Later-Life Health and Wellbeing: The Theories

Later-Life Health: Common Measurements and Historical Trends

Later-Life Health in the Contemporary United States

Later-Life Healthcare in the United States: Some Macro-Level Social Contexts

This Chapter’s Practical Applications and Everyday Relevance

Summary and Conclusion

Chapter 6: Later-Life Inequalities: At the Intersections

Patterns and Their Implications

Later-Life Resources: Differences and Inequalities

Intersecting Patterns in Later-Life Health and Wellbeing

Disability and Aging

Aging into Disability and Aging with Disability

This Chapter’s Practical Applications and Everyday Relevance

Summary and Conclusion

PART III: ACTIVITIES OF LATER LIFE

Chapter 7: Aging, Work, and the Sociology of Retirement

Work and the Life Course

Retirement as a Social Institution

Retirement as a Life Course Transition

Sociocultural Meanings of Retirement

Aging and Employment in the United States

Contemporary Retirement in the United States

This Chapter’s Practical Applications and Everyday Relevance

Summary and Conclusion

Chapter 8: Social Convoys, Marriage, Divorce, and Intimacy in Later Life

Social Networks and Social Convoys in Later Life

Aging and Friendship

Later-Life Partnerships

“Gray Divorce” and Widowhood

Repartnering in Later Life

This Chapter’s Practical Applications and Everyday Relevance

Summary and Conclusion

Chapter 9: Aging, Families, and Intergenerational Exchanges

Family as a Social Institution

Intergenerational Ties and Exchanges: Theories and Concepts

Types of Intergenerational Support Exchanges

Grandparenting Roles and Relationships

Caregiving for (and by) Older Adults

Elder Abuse

This Chapter’s Practical Applications and Everyday Relevance

Summary and Conclusion

PART IV: AGING AND SOCIAL CHANGE

Chapter 10: Generational Identity, Conflict, and Societal Change

Social Change and “The Youth”

Generationalism and Social Change

Generational Differences: What Research Finds

Omens of a “Generation War”?

Challenging the Conflict Narrative

This Chapter’s Practical Applications and Everyday Relevance

Summary and Conclusion

Chapter 11: Aging, Place, and Built Environments

A Brief Sociology of Place, Aging, and Built Environment

Aging, Wellbeing, and Immediate Built Environments

A Sociology of Aging in Place

Creating Age-Friendly Public Spaces

This Chapter’s Practical Applications and Everyday Relevance

Summary and Conclusion

Chapter 12: End of Life and the Future of Aging

Death: Social Attitudes and Expectations

Contemporary Patterns of Later-Life Mortality

Social Change and End-of-Life Experiences

Aging in a Post-Pandemic World

Aging in the Coming Century

This Chapter’s Practical Applications and Everyday Relevance

Summary and Conclusion

Glossary

Index

Editorial Reviews

Aging and the Life Course: Social and Cultural Contexts brings the sociology of aging and the life course to students in an accessible way—highlighting how experiences of aging reflect the broader culture and society. Deeply sociological, this text provides readers with an overview of the theories used by aging and life course scholars and applies them in a way that will connect to students’ everyday lives. This text will help students grow their sociological imagination and emphasize that aging is a dynamic process that unfolds across the entire life course. This text allows the reader to question their own assumptions about aging and covers a wide-range of topics within the field of sociology of aging and the life course.

Kenzie Latham-Mintus

Dr Lowry has created an important resource for students interested in the field of aging. All readers, whatever their chosen career path, will find much to stimulate their thinking in this book. It accurately captures the complexities of growing older, as well as helps us think more clearly about important issues in Gerontology.

Yvonne Lozano