The Futures of Old Age

am currently working on ‘anti-ageing medicine′, death and immortality and the insights they provide for the cultural construction of old age . These studies identify a crisis in understanding ‘old age′ which stems from significant advances in the control and manipulation of biological ageing. Claims to the technical ability to control the human ageing process are far from new but challenging issues about the meaning of old age arise with the prospect of significantly enhanced longevity claimed by contemporary bio-gerontology. I have written journal articles, chapters and given seminars on the significance of the biologisation of old age many of which can be accessed from this page. Chris Phillipson is Professor of Applied Social Studies and Social Gerontology at Keele University.

`The greatest strengths of this book are it′s breadth of aging-related topics and its ability to provoke thought in the reader. The presentation of both British and American perspectives on elder issues will aid researchers in developing broader perspectives for their work and more sophisticated research questions. As lengthening life spans challenge society to extend it′s understanding of late-life development, issues of aging are becoming some of the most important for social scientists to examine, and The Futures of Old Age offers a significant contribution to this field of study.′ - PsychCritiques

• IntroductionPART ONE: THE FUTURE OF THE LIFE COURSEVisions of Later Life - Andrew BlaikieGolden Cohort to Generation ZFuture `Conflicts′ across Generations and Cohorts? - Vern L Bengtson and Norella M PutneyDevelopments in the Life Course - Dale Dannefer and Casey MiklowskiPART TWO: THE FUTURE OF SOCIAL DIFFERENTIATIONAgeing and Social Class - Alan Walker and Liam FosterAn Enduring RelationshipGender and Later Life - Sara ArberChange, Choice and ConstraintsEthnicity and Old Age - James NazrooPART THREE: THE FUTURE OF RETIREMENT AND PENSIONSThe Future of Inequalities in Retirement Income - Debora Price and Jay GinnWill the Baby-Boomers be Better off than Their Parents in Retirement? - Maria Evandrou and Jane FalkinghamThe Future of Stock Market Pensions - Richard MinnsPART FOUR: THE FUTURE FOR `SELF′ IN OLD AGEAgeing Selves and Others - Simon BiggsDistinctiveness and Uniformity in the Struggle for Intergenerational SolidarityBiographical Work and the Future of the Ageing Self - Jaber F Gubrium and James A HolsteinAgeing and Belief - Between Tradition and Change - Peter G Coleman, Marie A Mills and Peter SpeckPART FIVE: THE FUTURE FOR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING IN OLD AGEWill Our Old Age be Healthier? - Christina VictorIs there a Better Future for People with Dementia and their Families? - Murna Downs and Errollyn BruceThe Future of Well-Being - John Bond and Lynne CornerQuality of Life of Older People in the 21st CenturyPART SIX: THE FUTURE OF FAMILY AND LIVING ARRANGEMENTS FOR OLDER PEOPLEThe Ageing of Family Life Transitions - Sarah HarperFlying Solo in Old Age - Kate DavidsonWidowed and Divorced Men and Women in Later LifeHousing and Future Living Arrangements - Sheila PeacePART SEVEN: GLOBALIZATION AND THE FUTURE OF OLD AGEAnti-Ageing Science and the Future of Old Age - John VincentAgeing and Globalization - Chris PhillipsonThe Future Life Course, Migration and Old Age - Tony Warnes