Ageing, meaning and social structure : connecting critical and humanistic gerontology / edited by Jan Baars ... [and others].

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Baars, Jan.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Gerontology.

Aging--Social aspects.

Aging.

Physical Description:

vii, 205 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Bristol : Policy Press, 2013.

Summary:

Ageing, meaning and social structure is a unique book advancing critical discourse in gerontology and makes a major contribution to understanding key social and ethical dilemmas facing ageing societies. It confronts and integrates approaches that have been relatively isolated from each other and interrelates two key streams of thought within critical gerontology: analyses of structural issues in the context of political economy and humanistic perspectives on issues of existential meaning. The chapters, from a wide range of contributors, focus on major issues in ageing such as autonomy, agency, frailty, lifestyle, social isolation, dementia and professional challenges in social work and participatory research. This volume should be valuable reading for scholars and graduate students in gerontology and humanistic studies, as well as for policy makers and practitioners working in the field of ageing. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Introduction / Jan Baars Baars, Jan, Chris Phillipson Phillipson, Chris 1

2 Connecting meaning with social structure: theoretical foundations / Jan Baars Baars, Jan, Chris Phillipson Phillipson, Chris 11

3 My own life: ethics, ageing and lifestyle / Joseph Dohmen Dohmen, Joseph 31

4 Rethinking agency in late life: structural and interpretive approaches / Amanda Grenier Grenier, Amanda, Chris Phillipson Phillipson, Chris 55

5 Dementia: beyond structures of medicalisation and cultural neglect / Margreet Th. Bruens Bruens, Margreet Th. 81

6 Self-realisation and ageing: a spiritual perspective / Hanne Laceulle Laceulle, Hanne 97

7 Social ability or social frailty? The balance between autonomy and connectedness in the lives of older people / Anja Machielse Machielse, Anja, Roelof Hortulanus Hortulanus, Roelof 119

8 Critical perspectives on social work with older people / Mo Ray Ray, Mo 139

9 Community-based participatory action research: opportunities and challenges for critical gerontology / Friederike Ziegler Ziegler, Friederike, Thomas Scharf Scharf, Thomas 157

10 Commentary: contingent ageing, naturalisation and some rays of intellectual hope / Dale Dannefer Dannefer, Dale, Jielu Lin Lin, Jielu 181.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781447300908

1447300904

OCLC:

810113698