Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences, Seventh Edition, provides extensive reviews and critical evaluations of research on the social aspects of aging. It also makes available major references and identifies high-priority topics for future research.
The book is organized into four parts. Part 1 reviews developments in the field of age and the life course (ALC) studies and presents guidelines on conducting cohort analysis. Part 2 covers the demographic aspects of aging; longevity trends; disability and aging; and stratification and inequality research. Part 3 includes chapters that examine socioeconomic position and racial/ethnic disparities in health at older ages; the role of social factors in the distribution, antecedents, and consequences of depression; and aspects of private wealth transfers and the changing nature of family gift-giving. Part 4 deals with pension reform in Europe; the political activities of older Americans; the future of retirement security; and gender differences in old age.
The Handbook is intended for researchers, professional practitioners, and students in the field of aging. It can also serve as a basic reference tool for scholars, professionals, and others who are not presently engaged in research and practice directly focused on aging and the aged.

Feature

• Contains all the main areas of social science gerontological research in one volume
• Begins with a section on theory and methods
• Edited by one of the fathers of gerontology (Binstock) and contributors represent top scholars in gerontology

Part One: Theory and Methods

Chapter 1: Theories of Aging and the Life Course - Dale Dannefer

Chapter 2: Aging, Cohorts, and Methods - Yang Yang

Part Two: Aging and Social Structure

Chapter 3: Demography and Aging - Linda G. Martin

Chapter 4: Health Trends and Future Projections - S. Jay Olshansky Chapter 5: Disability and Aging - Vicki Freedman

Chapter 6: Global Aging - Elizabeth Frankenberg and Duncan Thomas

Chapter 7: Race, Ethnicity, and Aging - James Jackson, Ishtar O. Govia & Sherrill Sellers

Chapter 8: Social Stratification and the Life Course - Scott Lynch

Part Three: Social Factors and Social Institutions

Chapter 9: Health Disparities and Aging - Stephanie Robert & Pamela Herd & James House

Chapter 10: Social Factors in Genetics and Aging - Michael Shanahan and Scott Hofer

Chapter 11: Aging, Social Factors, and Mental Health - Linda George

Chapter 12: Aging and Inheritance: Social Factors - Jacqueline Angel

Chapter 13: Economic Status of the Aged - Virginia Reno

Chapter 14: Employment and Aging - Sara Rix

Chapter 15: Residential Environments of Older People - Stephen Golant

Chapter 16: Civic Engagement - Stephen CutlerJon Hendricks and Greg O’Neill

Chapter 17: Death and Dying - Deborah Gold

Part Four: Aging and Society

Chapter 18: The Politics of Pension Reform in Europe - Martin Kohli and Camila Arza

Chapter 19: Politics and Aging in the United States - Robert Binstock?and Andrea Campbell

Chapter 20: The Future of Retirement Security - John Williamson

Chapter 21: Organization and Financing of Health Care - Marilyn Moon

Chapter 22: Cross-National Perspectives on Long-Term Care - Joshua Wiener

Chapter 23: Gender, Aging, and Social Policy - Madonna Harrington Meyer and Wendy Parker

Chapter 24: Aging and Social Intervention - Lisa Berkman

Chapter 25: Fiscal Implications of Population Aging - John Gist