Front Cover -- Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- Contributors -- Foreword -- Preface -- About the Editors -- Part One: Aging and Time -- Chapter 1. Aging and the Life Course -- I. Why Gerontology Needs the Life Course -- II. Clarifying the Distinctiveness of Old Age -- III. Exploring Connections Between Old Age and Prior Life Periods -- IV. The End of Gerontology? -- V. Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 2. Modeling the Effects of Time: Integrating Demographic and Developmental Perspectives -- I. Conceptions of Time -- II. Population Concepts -- III. Analysis Issues -- IV. Modeling the Effects of Time -- V. Conclusions -- References -- Part Two: Aging and Social Structure -- Chapter 3. Morbidity, Disability, and Mortality -- I. Epidemiologic Transition Theory and Recent Trends in Adult Mortality -- II. The Dynamics of Morbidity, Disability, and Mortality -- III. Demographic, Social, and Behavioral Differentials in Morbidity, Disability, and Mortality -- IV. Conclusions and Future Research Directions -- References -- Chapter 4. Old Age Through the Lens of Family History -- I. The Initial Interpretative Phase: Modernization and the Families of the Old -- II. The Second Phase: The Cambridge Group and Its Followers -- III. A Research Agenda -- References -- Chapter 5. Internal and International Migration -- I. Internal Migration -- II. Late-Life International Migration -- III. Future Research Priorities -- References -- Chapter 6. Diversity and Aging in the United States -- I. Population Diversity and the Pact Between the Generations -- II. The Ethnic Age Grading of the Population -- III. Culture and Diversity -- IV. Health of the Elderly Minority Population -- V. Income and Wealth: The Sources of Retirement Security -- VI. Age at Immigration -- VII. Medical Care, Living Arrangements, and Long-Term Care.

VIII. Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 7. Social Networks and Health -- I. Social Structure and Health -- II. The Network Approach -- III. Review of Social Network Properties and Health -- IV. Conclusions and Directions for Future Research -- References -- Chapter 8. Converging Divergences in Age, Gender, Health, and Well-Being: Strategic Selection in the Third Age -- I. Age- and Gender-Graded Role Constellations -- II. The Third Age and Retirement: Institutions and Role Constellations in Flux -- III. Converging Divergences in the Third Age: Consequences of Obsolete Age- and Gender-Graded Constellations -- IV. A Converging Divergence? -- V. Summary -- References -- Chapter 9. Stratification and the Life Course: Life Course Capital, Life Course Risks, and Social Inequality -- I. Life Course Capital: Evolutionary and Social Origins -- II. Forms of Life Course Capital: A Brief Review -- III. Childhood: The First Life Course Risks in the Development of Life Course Capital -- IV. Challenges to Linking Childhood Origins to Adult Outcomes -- V. Life Course Risks After Childhood: Variant Opportunities and Deviant Setbacks -- VI. Variant Adult Pathways to Inequality: Patterns of Disadvantage and Advantage -- VII. Deviant Setbacks in the Life Course: Criminal Records -- VIII. Conclusions: The Retrenchment of Equalizing Institutions and Life Course Stratification -- References -- Part Three: Social Factors and Social Institutions -- Chapter 10. Intergenerational Family Transfers in Social Context -- I. Altruism, Power, and Reciprocity in Family Systems -- II. Public-Private Interfaces -- III. Corporate and Mutual Aid Models -- IV. Normative-Moral Perspectives on Transfers -- V. Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 11. Social Relationships in Late Life -- I. What Are Social Relationships? -- II. Exploring the Genesis of Social Relationships.

III. Social Relationships and Health -- IV. Variations by Race -- V. The Current State of Theory on Social Relationships -- VI. Conclusions -- References -- Chapter 12. Older Workers -- I. Who Are "Older" Workers in Today's Economy? -- II. The Demographic Context of an Aging Labor Force -- III. Age Discrimination in the Workplace -- IV. Experiences of Older Workers in the Labor Market -- V. Employment Opportunities for Older Workers -- VI. Improving the Fit Between Human Resources and Jobs -- VII. Older Worker Policies in Comparative Perspective -- VIII. Conclusions -- References -- Chapter 13. Economic Status of the Aged -- I. Income and Asset Status of Older Adults -- II. Measures of Economic Well-Being -- III. Conclusions and Directions for Future Research -- References -- Chapter 14. Health and Aging -- I. Fifty Years of Research on Health and Aging -- II. Life Course Epidemiology -- III. Health and Illness Behavior -- IV. Future Research Directions -- V. Social Forces and Health Across the Life Course -- References -- Chapter 15. Technological Change and Aging -- I. Theoretical Perspectives -- II. Overview of Applications -- III. Factors in the Use of Technology by Older Persons -- IV. Conclusions -- References -- Chapter 16. Religion and Aging -- I. Background -- II. Views of Aging in the World Religions -- III. Religious Involvement and Aging Across the Life Course -- IV. Cohort Differences in Religious Involvement -- V. Societal Aging and Its Impact on Religious Institutions -- VI. Impact of Religious Involvement on Health in Late Life -- VII. Congregation and Clergy Care for Older Adults -- VIII. Communities of Memory: Ethnographies of Old Age in Religious Communities -- IX. Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 17. Lifestyle and Aging -- I. Defining Lifestyle -- II. "Successful Aging" as Code for Lifestyle.

III. An Agenda to (Re)Unite Structure and Agency as Constitutive of Lifestyle -- IV. Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 18. Perceived Quality of Life -- I. Conceptualizing and Defining Quality of Life -- II. Is Quality of Life an Objective or Subjective Phenomenon? -- III. Is "Successful Aging" the Same as Quality of Life? -- IV. Is Quality of Life Responsive to Changing Internal and External Circumstances? -- V. Determinants of Subjective Well-Being -- VI. Demographic Characteristics -- VII. Socioeconomic Status -- VIII. Health -- IX. Activities -- X. Social Integration -- XI. Social Ties and Social Support -- XII. Psychosocial Mediators of the Determinants of SWB -- XIII. Sense of Control and Related Constructs -- XIV. Sense of Meaning -- XV. Social Comparisons -- XVI. Discrepancy Theories -- XVII. Strategic Investments of Time and Resources -- XVIII. A Cautionary Note -- XIX. Cross-Cultural Comparisons -- XX. Priority Issues for Future Research -- References -- Part Four: Aging and Society -- Chapter 19. Aging and Politics: An International Perspective -- I. The New Politics of Aging -- II. The New Macro Politics of Aging -- III. The New Meso and Micro Politics of Aging -- IV. Participation in Local Decision Making -- V. Participation in National Decision Making -- VI. Gray Power: Reality or Myth? -- VII. Barriers to Political Participation and Influence -- VIII. Prospects for the Politics of Aging: A Research Agenda -- References -- Chapter 20. Economic Security in Retirement: Reshaping the Public-Private Pension Mix -- I. What Pension Mix? -- II. Pensions in the Twentieth Century: Defined Benefit Plans Dominate -- III. Pensions in the Twenty-First Century: The Rise of Defined Contribution Plans -- IV. Problems with Defined Contribution Plans -- V. International Experience with New Pension Mixes -- VI. Which Way Reform? -- References.

Chapter 21. Organization and Financing of Health Care -- I. The Creation of Medicare and Medicaid -- II. The Pressures on a Public System -- III. How the Total System Has Evolved Over Time -- IV. Issues Surrounding Reliance on the Private Market -- V. Where Medicaid and Medicare Are Today -- VI. Where Could We Go with the Organization and Financing of Care? -- References -- Chapter 22. Emerging Issues in Long-Term Care -- I. Defining Long-Term Care -- II. The Triple Knot of Long-Term Care -- III. Emerging Issues in Long-Term Care -- References -- Chapter 23. Aging and the Law -- I. Law as a Social Tool -- II. Law as a Source of Elder Rights -- III. Legal Grounds for Government Interventions -- IV. Legal Status of Older Persons -- V. Does the Law Accomplish Its Goals? -- VI. Elder Law as a Legal Specialty -- VII. Looking to the Future -- References -- Chapter 24. Anti-Aging Medicine and Science: Social Implications -- I. The Contemporary Anti-Aging Movement -- II. Boundary Work: Gerontologists versus Anti-Aging Medicine -- III. Anti-Aging Frontiers in Biogerontology -- IV. Issues for Future Research -- References -- Chapter 25. Aging and Justice -- I. Age and Generation -- II. Justice: Empirical and Normative Perspectives -- III. Generational Equity: Discourse and Institutions -- IV. Generational Equity: The Empirical Record -- V. Attitudes Toward the Public Generational Contract -- VI. The Public and the Private Generational Contract -- VII. Conclusion -- References -- Author Index -- Subject Index.