Managing Change in Old Age

Haim Hazan is in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Tel-Aviv University.

• List of Tables Acknowledgments Preface Introduction—On Managing Change in Old Age 1. The Setting 2. Spheres of Relevance 3. Fields of Control 4. The Discussion Group 5. The Handicrafts Group 6. The Synagogue Group 7. Conclusion: Managing Change—A Synchronic Perspective Postscript: Accounts and Accountability—Reporting Old Age Notes References Index

"Hazan's book is interesting to read and that it is one of its strengths. It describes in rich detail the meaning of growing old in a home, stressing the diverse ways this is achieved. Hazan helps to dispel the prevailing concern with adaptation or adjustment so frequently found in the gerontological literature.The case study is informed by a sound explanatory framework, grounded in principles of understanding and explication. 'Fields of control' and 'spheres of influence' are the organizing concepts, providing a handy means of bringing the empirical matter to life.The contribution is important to the field of aging because the field has been dominated by a 'linear' view of the aging experience, emphasizing needs and successful adjustment to the denigration of its complications and dynamism." — Jaber F. Gubrium, University of Florida