In the 21st century, global demographics are rapidly changing, with a higher population of middle-aged people than ever before. As the ‘sandwich’ generation, people in midlife often experience significant work and intergenerational caring responsibilities, yet they are the subject of relatively little research. This short, accessible book redresses the balance in offering a geographical approach to how people embody and claim space in midlife while analysing the influences of gender, class and location. The author considers midlife in varying sociocultural and geographical contexts, viewed through the lens of the global neoliberal shift.

Marking the renaissance of social geographies in recent years, this major textbook showcases the breadth of conceptual and empirical approaches that scholars now utilize to understand contemporary social issues through a spatial lens. The book is collectively authored by one of the largest groups of social geographers in the world. It develops a vision of social geographies that is rooted in the commitments that have characterised the sub-discipline for at least half a decade (e.g. society-space relations, justice, equality), while incorporating new approaches, theories and concerns (e.g. emotions, performance, and the more-than-human). Embracing the increasing porosity of our work with neighbouring economic, cultural, political and environmental geographies, the book provides a round-up of the state of the sub-discipline, capturing recent directions and charting new questions and challenges for theory, research and practice. It makes sense of the bewildering variety of contemporary social geographical interests, from longstanding topics (e.g. race, class and gender) to more recent interests (e.g. sustainability, digital worlds and social change). Above all, it makes clear the relevance and contributions of social geographies not only to understanding a wide range of global and local issues, but to social change alongside communities, policy-makers and social movements. Each chapter offers an introduction to current work in social geographies, providing an overview and in-depth examples. The book has these key features that make it an essential resource for any social geography course: An accessible and engaging style that is ideal for entry level students Definitions of key terms and carefully explained concepts and ideas A range of exciting contemporary examples from a wide variety of geographical settings, including those drawn from the authors’ recent research Cross-referencing between chapters to help students expand learning Illustration with photos, tables, diagrams and other material Suggestions for further reading in each chapter “Real world research” and “real world theory” textboxes providing examples of research projects and theoretical perspectives, bringing topics alive and exploring challenges on the ground

A dynamic and inspiring exploration of the new science that is redrawing the future for people in their forties, fifties, and sixties for the better—and for good. There’s no such thing as an inevitable midlife crisis, Barbara Bradley Hagerty writes in this provocative, hopeful book. It’s a myth, an illusion. New scientific research explodes the fable that midlife is a time when things start to go downhill for everybody. In fact, midlife can be a great new adventure, when you can embrace fresh possibilities, purposes, and pleasures. In Life Reimagined, Hagerty explains that midlife is about renewal: It’s the time to renegotiate your purpose, refocus your relationships, and transform the way you think about the world and yourself. Drawing from emerging information in neurology, psychology, biology, genetics, and sociology—as well as her own story of midlife transformation—Hagerty redraws the map for people in midlife and plots a new course forward in understanding our health, our relationships, even our futures.

In the 21st century, global demographics are rapidly changing, with a higher population of middle-aged people than ever before. As the ‘sandwich’ generation, people in midlife often experience significant work and intergenerational caring responsibilities, yet they are the subject of relatively little research. This short, accessible book redresses the balance in offering a geographical approach to how people embody and claim space in midlife while analysing the influences of gender, class and location. The author considers midlife in varying sociocultural and geographical contexts, viewed through the lens of the global neoliberal shift.

Introducing the debates that inform current social geographic research and theory and interrogating the historical development of social geography, Social Geography: A Critical Introduction explores how urban and rural spaces are organized in ways that construct and maintain social inequality. Puts into context the assumptions of various strains of social geographic thought as they have developed historically Assists students in addressing key social geographic questions and methodologies Provides a showcase for cutting edge work in the field Is written in an accessible and lively style, setting out a wide breadth of social geographic research

Health geographers are increasingly turning to a diverse range of interpretative methodologies to explore the complexities of health, illness, space and place to gain more comprehensive understandings of well-being and broader social models of health and health care. Drawing upon postmodernism, many health geographers are concerned with issues of representation, the body and health care policy. Also related to an emphasis on the body is the growing literature in feminist health geography that investigates the metaphorical, physical and emotional challenges of the body and disease. Reflecting these interests, the chapters in this book set out the host of creative qualitative methods being used to explore the psychosocial experiences of individuals more directly, using such traditional methods as in-depth interviews and group discussions, participant observation, diaries and discourse analysis, but also more novel techniques such as 'go-along interviews’, reflexive writing, illustrations, and photographic techniques. There are several areas of qualitative research unique to geographers which figure prominently in this volume including: health and place, comparative case study analysis, and qualitative approaches to the use of geographic information systems (GIS). This collection brings together a wide range of empirical concerns related to questions of health and shines a light on the diversity of qualitative methods in practice. Illustrating how qualitative methodologies are used in diverse health contexts this book fills an important niche for health geographers but will have wide appeal to health and geographic researchers.