Self and Meaning in the Lives of Older People

Peter G. Coleman is Emeritus Professor of Psychogerontology and an associate member of the Centre for Research on Ageing at the University of Southampton. His research relates to the mental health of older people, especially the functions of reminiscence and life review and sources of self-esteem and meaning in later life. Christine Ivani-Chalian has specialised in the study of adult development and learning, with a Master's thesis on the University of the Third Age and a PhD on disability and open learning. She has also worked for the Open University teaching on social care and social work courses. Maureen Robinson obtained an MPhil in Psychology while working on the initial stages of this project. She works as an independent advocate for older people and persons experiencing dementia, is a long standing community activist, serving over twenty years as a local councillor as well as holding non-executive posts within the NHS and housing organisations.

• 1. Living a long life: why survive?; 2. From self-esteem to meaning: studying psychological well-being in later life; 3. Investigating older people's lives at the end of the twentieth century; 4. Ageing together; 5. Adaptation to loss of spouse; 6. Ageing alone; 7. Women becoming frailer; 8. Men becoming frailer; 9. Towards one hundred years; 10. The future of later life: personal and policy perspectives on ageing and meaning.

'This sensitive and insightful study takes us through the last decades of life for a group of older people, stepping along with them in time and hearing what is important to them. Sometimes moving, but often heartening, this book should be read by anyone with an interest in the inner life as we age and in identifying what is needed if we are all to age in ways that we would choose.' Joanna Bornat, The Open University, Milton Keynes