Aging as a Social Process

Andrew V. Wister is the Director of the Gerontology Research Centre at Simon Fraser University. He is also currently Chair of the National Seniors Council of Canada. Andrew has written several important articles on gerontology in Canada, and worked in conjunction with Barry McPherson on the last edition of Aging as a Social Process.

• Note: All chapters include:- Learning Objectives and Key Facts- Highlight Boxes- Summary- For Reflection, Debate, or Action- Key Terms- Multimedia Resources- NotesPrefaceAcknowledgmentsDevelopments in Social Gerontology since 1940 That Have Had a Major Impact on Canadian Research, Policy, and PracticePart One: Interweaving Individual and Population Aging1. Aging as a Social ProcessIntroduction: Challenges and Opportunities within an Aging WorldPopulation Aging: Adding Years to LifeIndividual Aging: Adding Life to YearsInteracting Aging ProcessesThe Social World of AgingStereotypes and Their Influence on Individuals and SocietyThe Field of Gerontology MaturesThree Life Course Conceptual Dimensions to Understand the Study of AgingCritical Issues and Challenges for an Aging Society2. Historical and Cultural Aspects of AgingIntroduction: Diversity in Aging across Time, Place, and CultureAging in Canada's Multicultural SocietyThe Multiple Dimensions and Meanings of CultureHistorical and Comparative Approaches to Understanding Aging ProcessesAn Intersectionality Lens to Cultural Experiences and IdentityThe Modernization Hypothesis and the Changing Status of Older PeopleThe Modernization Hypothesis and the Changing Status of Older PeopleDiversity of Aging during ModernizationAging in Subcultures3. Integrating Physical, Psychological, and Social Change across the Life CourseIntroductionAging, Physical Structure, and the Physiological SystemsAging and the Motor and Sensory SystemsAging and Cognitive ProcessesPersonality Processes and AgingCognitive Vitality among the Very Old4. Population Aging: Understanding the Importance of DemographyIntroductionThe Study of DemographyGlobal Demographic and Epidemiological TransitionsDemographic Variations among Generations and Age CohortsDemography Is Not Destiny: The Misuse of Demographic StatisticsAn Expanding Older PopulationThe Significance of Demographic IndicesGeographic Distribution of the Aging PopulationPart Two: The Social, Environmental, and Health Contexts of Aging5. Theories and Research in Explaining and Understanding Aging PhenomenaIntroductionThe Goals of Scholarly ResearchDeveloping Knowledge: Multiplicity in Perspectives and TheoriesResearch Methods Applied to Aging and the Aged: The Search for AnswersMethodological Issues in Aging Research6. Intersections of Social Structures, Social Inequality, and the Life CourseIntroductionSocial Structures and AgingAge Structures and the Life CourseAge Structures and Social Change7. Health Status and Health-Care Transitions in an Aging ContextIntroduction: What Is Health?Models of Health and Health CareIs the Older Population Healthier over Time?Is the Mid-Life Population Healthier over Time?Increasing Longevity and CentenariansDimensions of Health and IllnessMental HealthCanada's Health-Care System and Population Aging8. The Lived Environment: Community, Housing, and PlaceIntroductionThe Multiple Meanings of CommunityAn Ecological Model of Aging: Person-Environment InteractionCoping with the Environment: Challenges and AdaptationsLiving Arrangements in Later LifeHousing Alternatives in Later LifeChanging Places: Local Moves and Migration in Later LifePart Three: Aging, Social Institutions, and Public Policy9. Family Ties, Relationships, and TransitionsIntroductionThe Concept of FamilyChanging Family and Kinship StructuresFactors Influencing Family RelationshipsFamily Ties and RelationshipsLife Transitions in a Family Context10. Later Life Work, Retirement, and Economic SecurityIntroductionOlder Workers in the Pre-retirement YearsThe Process of RetirementEconomic Security in Later Life11. Social Participation, Social Connectedness, and Leisure among Older PersonsIntroductionSocial Networks over the LifecourseLoneliness and Social Isolation in Later Life: Myth or Fact?Social Participation in Later LifeAsocial Behaviour: Older CriminalsLeisure and Aging: Conceptual and Methodological Issues12. The Completion of the Life Course: Social Support, Public Policy, and Dying WellIntroductionSocial Support and Caregiving in an Aging SocietyInformal Social SupportFormal Social SupportSocial Intervention Strategies and IssuesEnd of the Life Course: Dying Well, with Support and DignityPublic Policy for an Aging PopulationAppendix: Study ResourcesGlossaryReferencesIndexNotes