Key Concepts in Social Gerontology
- Judith E Phillips - Swansea University, UK
- Kristine J Ajrouch - Eastern Michigan University, USA
- Sarah Hillcoat-Nalletamby - Swansea University, UK
SAGE Key Concepts series
- Victor Marshall, Department of Sociology and Institute on Aging, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
"The concepts are very clear and very relevant, and fantastic for my group of undergraduate students... I found each concept to be succinctly and simply captured, holding enough information to satisfy initial cravings and complex enough to tempt further reading... I had originally thought that this book would provide supplementary reading as part of my 'Healthy Ageing' course, but have changed my mind to essential reading now I have had the opportunity to read the entire book."
- Dr Meredith Tavener, Groningen University
Social gerontology is a new and dynamic field reflecting the increasing interest in ageing across the world. This book provides a readily accessible guide to well established and contested issues, as well as new concepts emerging through cutting edge research in the discipline.
The entries give concise, lucid knowledge on what constitutes the 'building blocks' of social gerontology and sets out a clear review of the core concepts, both classic and emerging, in this subject area. Each concept is explored in terms of its history, application, usefulness to theory and research, and significance in practice. They go beyond simple definitions of the concepts to look at how each issue has shaped the discipline of social gerontology today.
This book is authored by social gerontologists from the UK and the USA. Together they present an interdisciplinary perspective and reflect a global approach to the presentation of key concepts in social gerontology.
Material provides excellent grounding in topic
I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. The concepts are very clear and very relevant, and fantastic for my group of undergraduate students who do not necessarily have English as a first language, nor who are used to reading about ageing issues. I found each concept to be succinctly and simply captured, holding enough information to satisfy initial cravings and complex enough to tempt further reading. For myself, and my students, the alphabetical ordering of each concept is actually comforting, and makes for very easy referencing during discussions. I had originally thought that this book would provide ‘supplementary’ reading as part of my “Healthy Ageing” course, but have changed my mind to “essential” reading now I have had the opportunity to read the entire book.
This is a very clear and concise dictionary of concepts. It provides an easy to read explanation of key terms and an explanation of the research along with key references. This allows for easy follow up of the topics. This will make an excellent 'starting point' for a student who is new to a topic, or confused about where to start with research for an essay. This title will be useful in any course that includes issues related to ageing, and will also supplement topics within the broader sociology courses. It provides an over view of the key concepts and delivers what it promises in the title.
A useful text for any student studying social gerontology. It is extremely easy to dip into providing an introduction to a variety of topics.
I found some sections of this exremely useful and informative - particularly the multidisciplinary nature of the discourse.
A good basic text which introduces the reader to the issues and concepts of social gerontology. The work would benefit from a more global and multi-cultural perspective, its current emphasis on the UK and the USA only provides the reader with a narrow perspective.
