Half Title -- About the Author -- Title Page -- Copyright -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Aging and Society -- Dimensions of Aging -- Physical Aging -- Psychological Aging -- Social Aging -- Social Construction of Aging -- Societal Aging -- Ways of Categorizing People by Age -- Chronological Age -- Functional Age -- Life Stage -- Ageism -- The Rise of Old Age as a Social Category -- Generational Consciousness -- The Aging Population as a Social Force -- The Life Course and Old Age -- Social Perspectives on Aging -- Social Gerontology -- The Sociological Imagination -- Micro and Macro Perspectives -- Patterning of Experience: Diversity and Heterogeneity -- Summary -- Web Wise -- Key Terms -- Questions for Thought and Discussion -- Studying Aging -- Why Do We Conduct Research? -- The Role of Theory -- How Do We Conduct Research on Aging? -- Age as a Variable -- Sorting Out Age, Period, and Cohort Effects -- Aging Effects: Criminal Behavior by Age -- Cohort Effects: The Case of Voting Among Women After the Nineteenth Amendment -- Period Effects: A Hypothetical Example of Consumer Spending Over the Life Course -- Designs and Methods Targeted to Research on Aging -- Longitudinal/Panel Studies -- Secondary Analysis -- Qualitative, Quantitative, or Combined Methods -- Event History Analysis -- Life History and Reminiscence -- Other Special Issues in Studying Aging -- Separating Normal From Pathological Aging -- Increasing Variability With Age -- Sampling Adequately -- Ethical Issues in Research on Aging -- Cohort-Centrism, Dynamism, and Limits of Current Knowledge -- Sociology of Knowledge and Research Activism -- Applying Theory: Cohort Size and Life Chances: The Easterlin Hypothesis -- Summary -- Web Wise -- Key Terms -- Questions for Thought and Discussion -- Topical Essay: Will They Play the Rolling Stones at the Nursing Home?.

An Aging World: Demographic Perspectives -- The Aging of Societies -- Applying Theory: Demographic Transition Theory -- How Do Populations Age? -- Measures of Population Aging -- Population Pyramids -- Proportion Aged -- Median Ages -- Aging Index -- Dependency Ratios -- Life Expectancy -- Prospective Age -- Global Aging -- Demographic Characteristics of the U.S. Aging Population -- Living Arrangements -- Geographic Distribution -- Gender Composition -- Increasing Diversity -- Centenarians -- Interpreting and Using Demographic Data -- The Fallacy of the Demographic Imperative -- Summary -- Web Wise -- Key Terms -- Questions for Thought and Discussion -- The Aging Individual in Social Context -- Setting the Stage: Psychology of Aging -- Human Development and Aging -- Social Context and Individual Aging -- Environmental Gerontology -- Social Context -- The Life Course -- Social Time -- Social Roles -- Age Norms -- Age Norms and Life Course Flexibility -- Age Norms and Ageism -- Structural Lag -- Life Course Perspective in Gerontology -- Summary -- Web Wise -- Analyzing Theory: The Emergence of Developmental Science -- Key Terms -- Questions for Thought and Discussion -- Topical Essay: Love, Sex, and Longevity -- Aging and the Family: Personal and Institutional Contexts -- The Family as an Institution -- The Meanings of Generation -- Aspects of Family Variation -- Core Norms and Expectations of Family Relationships -- Independence and Dependence -- Voluntarism and Obligation -- Applying Theory: Family Life Cycle Theory and Individual Dependency in the Family -- Families as a Personal Network -- Strengths in Later-Life Families -- Continuity and Change in Later-Life Families -- Key Familial Roles and Relationships -- Spouses/Aging Couples -- Marital Satisfaction Throughout the Life Course -- Termination of Marriage: Widows and Widowers -- Grandparents.

Voluntary Grandparenting in Middle-Class Families -- Surrogate Parenting and Grandfamilies -- Families as Caregivers -- Context of Caregiving: Family Norms of Mutual Assistance -- Intergenerational Support -- Family Members as Caregivers to Frail Elders -- Who Are Family Caregivers? -- Women in the Middle -- Caregiver Burden and Rewards -- Involvement of Older Adults in Their Care -- Family Conflict: Elder Abuse and Neglect -- Social Changes and the Family's Future -- Changes in Marriage -- Changes in the Size and Shape of Families -- Future Changes in the Timing of Family Life Events -- Growing Complexity of Family Relations -- Summary -- Web Wise -- Key Terms -- Questions for Thought and Discussion -- Work and Retirement in the Life Course -- Employment as an Organizing Force in the Life Course -- Dynamics of the Labor Force -- Employment and Life Chances -- The Occupational Life Cycle -- Older Workers and the Dynamics of the Labor Force -- Skills and Employability of Older Workers -- Special Programs for Older Workers -- Age Discrimination in Employment: Problems and Policies -- Applying Theory: Rocking Chairs or Rock Climbing: Disengagement and Activity Theories -- Defining Retirement -- The Social Construction of Retirement -- The Institutionalization of Retirement in the United States -- The Role of Social Security -- The Role of Employer Pensions -- Gender and Retirement -- Race/Ethnic and Social Class Variations -- The Deconstruction of Retirement? -- Individual Retirement -- Determinants of the Retirement Decision -- Employment After Retirement-Bridge Jobs -- Retirement Consequences for Individuals and Couples -- Rethinking Work and Retirement for the Future -- Changes in Policies and Political Attitudes -- Changes in the Economy and the Nature of Work -- Applying Theory: Continuity Theory and the Busy Ethic -- Summary -- Web Wise.

Key Terms -- Questions for Thought and Discussion -- Topical Essay: Ironies of Crime: Silver-Haired Victims and Criminals -- Economics and the Aging of Society -- The Role of Economics in Aging -- Policy and the Economic Status of Older Adults -- Income Maintenance Policies -- Income Maintenance in the United States -- International Views on Income Maintenance -- Sources of Income -- Social Security: Background and Contemporary Issues -- Employer Pensions -- Personal Savings/Assets -- Economic Well-Being of Older Americans -- Alternatives for Measuring Economic Well-Being -- Measures of Economic Status -- Rates of Poverty -- Economic Well-Being and Inequality Among Older People -- Effects of Population Aging on the Economy -- Spending and Saving Over the Life Course -- Applying Theory: The Stratified Life Course and Economic Diversity -- Consumption Patterns -- Prospects for the Future Economic Status of the Elderly -- Summary -- Web Wise -- Key Terms -- Questions for Thought and Discussion -- Topical Essay: E-Elders -- Aging and Health: Individuals, Institutions, and Policies -- Physical Aging -- The Health Status of Older People -- Prevalence Rates for Chronic Conditions -- Functional Ability -- Self-Assessment -- Mortality -- The Social Context of Mortality: Death and Dying -- Mental Health and Aging -- Explaining Gender and Race Variations in Health -- The U.S. Health Care System -- The Medical Model of Health Care -- Elements of the Health Care System -- Access and Utilization -- Financing Health Care for Older Americans -- Applying Theory: The Political Economy of Health Care Access -- Medicare -- Medicare Part D -- Medicaid -- Long-Term Care in the United States -- Unpaid Long-Term Care -- Nursing Homes -- Assisted Living -- Community-Based Long-Term Care -- Continuing Care Retirement Communities -- Financing Long-Term Care -- CLASS Act.

Summary -- Web Wise -- Key Terms -- Questions for Thought and Discussion -- Topical Essay: Antiaging: Cosmetics and Aesthetics -- Politics, Government, and Aging in America -- Age-Based Government Policies -- The Old-Age Welfare State -- The Older Americans Act -- The Aging Enterprise -- Aging and Politics -- Age Norms and Rules for Political Participation -- Age, Period, and Cohort Effects on Political Behavior -- Voting and Activism: The Potential for Old-Age Political Power -- Attitudes and Party Affiliation -- Working the Political System: Age-Based Advocacy -- AARP and Capitol Hill -- Recent Legislation: Medicare Part D and Health Care Reform -- Generational Politics: Conflict and Consensus -- The Debate on Age and Need Entitlements -- The Battle Over Social Security -- The Generational Equity Debate -- The Potential for Generational Conflict -- Rethinking Age-Based Policies? -- Applying Theory: Age Stratification Theory -- Summary -- Web Wise -- Key Terms -- Questions for Thought and Discussion -- Global Aging -- Global Aging and Regional Economies -- More, Less, and Least Developed Designations -- Demographic Overview of Global Aging -- Speed of Population Aging -- Demographic Dividends -- Cultural Traditions, Population Aging, and Social Change -- China: One Child Policy -- Germany: Inverted Pyramid -- Kenya: Health Challenges -- Aging and the Welfare State -- History of the Welfare State -- Program Types and Eligibility -- Welfare State and the Role of the Family -- The Study of Global Aging -- Comparative Methods -- Applying Theory: Modernization Theory -- Beyond the "Exotic Other" -- International Initiatives on Aging -- Summary -- Web Wise -- Key Terms -- Questions for Thought and Discussion -- Baby Boomers and the Changing Landscape of Aging -- Cohort Flow and Changing Aging -- Who Are the Baby Boomers?.

Characteristics of the Baby Boomer Cohort.