The demographic phenomena of increased life expectancy, increasing global population of older adults, and a larger number of older people as a proportion of the total population in nations throughout the world will affect our lives and the life of each person we know. The changes will result in challenges and benefits for societies and people of all ages. These events need to be understood, explained, and their consequences addressed; sociological theories about aging are an essential part of this process. In Understanding Aging and Diversity: Theories and Concepts, Patricia Kolb presents important sociological theories and concepts for understanding experiences of older people and their families in a rapidly changing world. She explores concepts from phenomenology, critical theory, feminist theory, life course theory and gerotranscendence theory to explain important issues in the lives of older people. This book investigates similarities and differences in aging experiences, focusing in particular on the effects of inequality. Kolb examines the relationship of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation and social class to international aging experiences. This book explores the relationships between older people and social systems in different ways, and informs thinking about policy development and other strategies for enhancing the wellbeing of older adults. It will be useful for students and scholars of sociology, gerontology, social work, anthropology, economics, demography and global studies.

This new edition has been completely rewritten and includes chapters that address key topics in diversity and aging: research methods, psychological aging; health beliefs, behaviors, and services; health disparities; informal and formal care for older persons; work and retirement; religious affiliation and spirituality; and death, dying, and bereavement. Taking a broad view of diversity, Mehrotra and Wagner discuss elements of diversity such as gender, race or ethnicity, religious affiliation, social class, rural-urban community location and sexual orientation. Including these elements allows them to convey some of the rich complexities of our diverse culture - complexities that provide both challenges to meet the needs of diverse population and opportunities to learn how to live in a pluralistic society. Throughout the book, Mehrotra and Wagner present up-to-date knowledge and scholarship in a way that engages readers in active learning. Rather than simply transmitting information, the authors place ongoing emphasis on developing readers’ knowledge and skills; fostering higher order thinking and encouraging exploration of personal values and attitudes. Distinctive features of the book include: Opening vignettes for each chapter that present a sampling of how the issues to be discussed apply to diverse elders. Active learning experiences that invite readers to interview diverse elders, conduct internet searches, and give an analysis of a case study. Quizzes at the end of the chapters help readers ascertain the extent to which they have learned the material; the key for each quiz includes details about correct and incorrect responses so that additional learning can occur. Aging and Diversity Online boxes interspersed throughout the book provide internet resources that readers may use to find new research and publications. Suggested readings and audiovisual resources given at the end of each chapter serve as a guide to additional information on topics covered in the chapter. This approach of presenting the material will help the readers understand and apply key concepts and principles in ways that will not only improve the lives of older people they serve, but will also enhance their own aging experience.

Today, nearly one of every eight Americans is 65 or older, and by 2030, over 20% of the population will be in this age group. Are you prepared to work with this vastly diverseand rapidly growingpopulation? This single source is designed to help social service professionals provide effective services to America’s vastly diverse and rapidly growing elderly population. Diversity and Aging in the Social Environment explores the impact of race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and geographic location on elders’ strengths, challenges, needs, and resources to provide you with a more complete understanding of the issues elders face. In order to be more responsive to older adults, social workers and other human service professionals need to enhance their knowledge of the aging population and the factors that impact the way seniors interact with society, organizations, community resources, neighborhoods, support networks, kinship groups, family, and friends. Diversity and Aging in the Social Environment examines differences in race, ethnicity, geographical location, sexual orientation, religion, and health status to help current and future human service professionals provide culturally competent services to the diverse range of elderly people they serve. In addition, it addresses the wide disparity that exists for older Americans in terms of income and assets, number of chronic conditions, functional and cognitive impairment, housing arrangements, and access to health care. This book provides a context for the examination of diversity issues among older adults by describing and discussing several theoretical perspectives on aging that highlight important aspects of diversity. Next, you’ll find thoughtful examinations of: issues and challenges faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender eldersand the strengths they bring into later life the impact of gender, race, and sexual orientation on prevalence rates, risk factors, methods of disease contraction, and mortality rates among older adults with HIV/AIDSalong with a discussion of the psychosocial issues they face diverse characteristics of custodial grandparentsand the influence of the caregivers’ gender, race, age, and geographic location on methods of care and available caregiver support differences in caregiver characteristics, service utilization, caregiver strain, and coping mechanisms among several racial/ethnic groups of adults who care for elderly, disabled, and ill persons cultural/religious factors that influence interactions between health care personnel and Japanese-American elders the relationship between acculturation and depressive symptoms among Mexican-American couples life challenges facing Jewish and African-American elderswith a look at each group’s coping mechanisms differences in religious/spiritual coping skills among Native American, African-American, and white elders psychological well-being and religiosity among a diverse group of rural elders

In an attempt to understand the meaning of ageing and the treatment of the aged in different cultures, seven anthropologists have made studies of 10 communities on four continents - the results of which are presented in this book. The authors use both qualitative and statistical data to examine such issues as: health and well-being, perceptions of the life course, material resources, and functionality of elders. A unique resource, The Aging Experience provides a detailed comparative analysis of ageing worldwide.

Ageing, Diversity and Equality challenges and provoke the above described normativity and offer an alternative approach which highlights the heterogeneity and diversity of ageing, associated inequalities and their intersections.

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According to a recent population report by the United Nations, "in most countries, older women greatly outnumber older men. In many cases, the difference is so large that the concerns of the older population should in fact be viewed primarily as the concerns of older women." Internationally, the concerns of older women emanate from the unique gendered challenges they experience because they are more likely to be widowed, poor, have lower educational attainment, fewer skills, restricted inheritance and land ownership, and have fewer sexual rights. To add to this negative scenario, ageist and sexist attitudes in both developed and developing societies throughout the world tend to categorize older women as non-contributing burdens even though they are in fact often highly productive and bear most of the burdens of family caregiving responsibilities. In spite of their majority status and list of concerns, older women are less likely to be equally represented in the literature on aging. This edited book introduces the reader to the diversity, challenges and contributions of older women in several of the major regions of the world. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in Social Work.