Winner of the Richard Kalish Innovative Publication Award 2021. Part of the Ageing in a Global Context series, this book proposes a new research agenda for scholarship that focuses on ethnicity, race and old age. It argues that in a time of increased international migration, population ageing and ethno-cultural diversity, scholarly imagination must be expanded as current research frameworks are becoming obsolete. By bringing attention to the way that ethnicity and race have been addressed in research on ageing and old age, with a focus on health inequalities, health and social care, intergenerational relationships and caregiving, the book proposes how research can be developed in an ethnicity astute and diversity informed manner.

In their later years, Americans of different racial and ethnic backgrounds are not in equally good-or equally poor-health. There is wide variation, but on average older Whites are healthier than older Blacks and tend to outlive them. But Whites tend to be in poorer health than Hispanics and Asian Americans. This volume documents the differentials and considers possible explanations. Selection processes play a role: selective migration, for instance, or selective survival to advanced ages. Health differentials originate early in life, possibly even before birth, and are affected by events and experiences throughout the life course. Differences in socioeconomic status, risk behavior, social relations, and health care all play a role. Separate chapters consider the contribution of such factors and the biopsychosocial mechanisms that link them to health. This volume provides the empirical evidence for the research agenda provided in the separate report of the Panel on Race, Ethnicity, and Health in Later Life.

Older Americans, even the oldest, can now expect to live years longer than those who reached the same ages even a few decades ago. Although survival has improved for all racial and ethnic groups, strong differences persist, both in life expectancy and in the causes of disability and death at older ages. This book examines trends in mortality rates and selected causes of disability (cardiovascular disease, dementia) for older people of different racial and ethnic groups. The determinants of these trends and differences are also investigated, including differences in access to health care and experiences in early life, diet, health behaviors, genetic background, social class, wealth and income. Groups often neglected in analyses of national data, such as the elderly Hispanic and Asian Americans of different origin and immigrant generations, are compared. The volume provides understanding of research bearing on the health status and survival of the fastest-growing segment of the American population.

Almost 25 years have passed since the Demography of Aging (1994) was published by the National Research Council. Future Directions for the Demography of Aging is, in many ways, the successor to that original volume. The Division of Behavioral and Social Research at the National Institute on Aging (NIA) asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to produce an authoritative guide to new directions in demography of aging. The papers published in this report were originally presented and discussed at a public workshop held in Washington, D.C., August 17-18, 2017. The workshop discussion made evident that major new advances had been made in the last two decades, but also that new trends and research directions have emerged that call for innovative conceptual, design, and measurement approaches. The report reviews these recent trends and also discusses future directions for research on a range of topics that are central to current research in the demography of aging. Looking back over the past two decades of demography of aging research shows remarkable advances in our understanding of the health and well-being of the older population. Equally exciting is that this report sets the stage for the next two decades of innovative researchâ€"a period of rapid growth in the older American population.

Are patterns of ageing the same in all ethnic groups? Are there any cultural factors which make growing old better or worse for particular communities? Does racial discrimination affect the quality of life and health care of ageing members of ethnic groups? In this wide-ranging study in social gerontology, Markides and Mindel integrate literature from sociology, political science, economics, psychology and social work to explore the relationship between ageing and ethnicity. They draw important conclusions for social policy and suggest future directions for research and intervention.

"The array of topics covered is amazing, making this book a valuable, significant resource for many disciplines...This multidisciplinary review of the literature on minority aging presents the scholarship related to public health and 'social, behavioral, and biological concerns' of aged minorities like no other publication. Graduate students will certainly be well-served by this book, as would faculty teaching aging at both undergraduate and graduate levels...Highly recommended."--Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries "...while practitioners of gerontology, family medicine, and any professional involved in the care of the elderly will find some practical guidance in the second part of the book, it will really earn a place on the bookshelf of anyone and everyone with an interest in US sociology and the development of public policy for the elderly. With the general aging of the population and the book’s accentuation of current issues, this outstanding review will become an indispensable tool."Healthy Aging Research This text provides up-to-date, multidisciplinary, and comprehensive information about aging among diverse racial and ethnic populations in the United States. It is the only book to focus on paramount public health issues as they relate to older minority Americans, and addresses social, behavioral, and biological concerns for this population. The text distills the most important advances in the science of minority aging and incorporates the evidence of scholars in gerontology, anthropology, psychology, public health, sociology, social work, biology, medicine, and nursing. Additionally, the book incorporates the work of both established and emerging scholars to provide the broadest possible knowledge base on the needs of and concerns for this rapidly growing population. Chapters focus on subject areas that are recognized as being critical in understanding the well being of minority elders. These include sociology (Medicare, SES, work and retirement, social networks, context/neighborhood, ethnography, gender, demographics), psychology (cognition, stress, mental health, personality, sexuality, religion, neuroscience, discrimination), medicine/nursing/public health (mortality and morbidity, disability, health disparities, long-term care, genetics, dietary issues, health interventions, physical functioning), social work (caregiving, housing, social services, end-of-life care), and many other topics. The book focuses on the needs of four major ethnic groups: Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, African American, and Native American. Key Features: Provides current, comprehensive information about minority aging through a multidisciplinary lens Integrates information from scholars in gerontology, anthropology, psychology, public health, sociology, social work, biology, medicine, and nursing Emphasizes the principal public health issues concerning minority elders Offers “one-stop shopping” regarding the development of a substantial knowledge base about minority aging Includes recent progressive research pertaining to the social, cultural, psychological and health needs of elderly minority adults in the US

This book fosters a deeper understanding of the growing Latino elderly population and the implications on society. It examines post-WWII demographic and social changes and summarizes research from sociology, psychology, economics, and public health to shed light on the economic, physical, and mental well-being of older Latinos. The political and cultural implications including possible policy changes are also considered. Written in an engaging style, each chapter opens with a vignette that puts a human face on the issues. Boxed exhibits highlight social programs and policies and physical and mental health challenges that impact Latino elders. Web alerts direct readers to sites that feature more detailed information related to the chapter’s issues. Each chapter also features an introduction, examples, tables, figures, a summary, and discussion questions. The self-contained chapters can be presented in any order. Latinos in an Aging World explores: Real world problems individuals face in dealing with poverty, immigration, and health and retirement decisions The latest data on Latinos as compared to research on African- and Asian- Americans where appropriate The unique historical, demographic, social, familial, and economic situations of various Latino subgroups including those from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Cuba How ethnicity affects one’s position of wealth and power and sense of citizenship. The consequence of life-long disadvantages and stigmatization on economic, physical, and mental well-being The impact of one’s neighborhood and the proximity to those from similar cultures on quality of life. The introduction motivates the book and sets the stage for the entire discussion. Chapter 1 reviews the histories of the major Hispanic subgroups along with various theories as they relate to race, ethnicity, and gender that provide a conceptual framework for understanding the later chapters. Demographic, economic, and social profiles of the various Hispanic subgroups are explored in chapter 2. Next the Latino population is explored from various perspectives including the economic and social situations of men and women and their educational, marital and family, and labor force experiences. Chapter 4 examines older immigrants and their families and identifies the resources available to them in their communities that often replicate the cultural and social support system of the old country. Major health risks that older Latinos face as a result of the disadvantages they experience throughout life are examined in chapter 5. Family situations and long-term care and living arrangements of older Hispanics are examined in chapter 6. The impact of neighborhood on quality of life in terms of safety and physical and mental wellbeing is explored in chapter 7. The burden that eldercare can place upon those who bear the responsibility of their daily care is explored in chapter 8. Chapter 9 investigates the gaps in income between minority and non-Hispanic white Americans and reviews what individuals with few resources need to know about financial management. The book concludes with the social, political, and economic implications of the growing Hispanic population and the role of NGOs and other organizations in providing services to older populations. Intended for courses on Latinos and aging, diversity, race and ethnicity, minorities and aging, adult development and aging, the psychology or sociology or politics of aging, geriatric social work, public health and aging, global aging, social or family policy, and health and society taught in the behavioral and social sciences, ethnic, or Latin American/Chicano Studies, this book also appeals to researchers and practitioners who work with Hispanic families.