The editors work in the Faculty of Health and Social Care at The Open University, UK. Jeanne Katz is a medical sociologist whose research has focused on the care of older people in different environments; Sheila Peace is Professor of Social Gerontology and a human geographer by first discipline with expertise in environment and ageing research; Sue Spurr is a curriculum manager in the Faculty and is undertaking a doctorate in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

"This is certainly a very thought-provoking and informative title with much for health and social care practitioners to consider ... a very useful collection of perspectives and research on a topic that is highly pertinent to our time." CNWL NHS Foundation Trust newsletter. "Adult Lives: A Life Course Perspective..contains an exciting mix of new material and extracts from key existing texts..It therefore covers much of social gerontology with a mixture of disciplines." Anthea Tinker, Journal of Ageing and Society "Linked to the Open University's innovative teaching, this reader contains an exciting mix of new material and extracts from key existing texts - interspersed with the voices of real people using services." Jon Glasby, University of Birmingham "Adult Lives is a comprehensive collection of articles covering key issues of environment, social inclusion, human rights and ethical considerations. The inclusion of 'real voices' deepens the insights into diversity of experience in the adult life course." Anne Martin-Matthews, University of British Columbia

• Introduction ~ Jeanne Katz, Sheila Peace and Sue Spurr; Contextualising Adulthood: Introduction ~ Jeanne Katz, Sheila Peace and Sue Spurr; Real voice: The Turnip ~ Jean-Dominique Bauby; Section 1: Quality of life and the life course: The lifecourse perspective on ageing: linked lives, timing, and history ~ Vern L. Bengston, H. Glen, J.R. Elder and Norella M. Putney; Imagining old age ~ Rebecca L. Jones; Quality of life ~ David Phillips; Implications for ageing well in the twenty-first century ~ Ann Bowling; Chronic illness as biographical disruption ~ Michael Bury; Aging with a childhood onset disability ~ Tracie C. Harrison and Alexa Stuifbergen; Section 2: Individual ageing and social relationships: Health and mortality ~ Christina Victor; Psychological ageing ~ Alfons Marcoen, Peter G. Coleman and Ann O'Hanlon; Dementia reconsidered: the person comes first ~ Tom Kitwood; The 'Senses Framework': a relationship centred approach to care ~ Mike Nolan and Serena Allan; Disability and adulthood ~ Mark Priestly; A sense of belonging: informal support from family, friends and acquaintances ~ Christine Bigby; Section 3: The environment: from accommodation to community: Environment and ageing ~ Sheila Peace, Hans-Werner Wahl, Heidrun Mollenkop and Frank Oswald; Life course ~ Caroline Holland and Sheila Peace; The role of technologies in the everyday lives of older people ~ Caroline Holland; Accommodating older and disabled prisoners in England and Wales ~ Barbara M. Glover; Community care and support for black and African Caribbean older people ~ Josie Tetley; 'Exclusion is necessary': excluding people from society ~ Daniel Dorling; Real voice: Have I done enough? ~ Ros Coward; Real voice: Going the distance: a family journey after acute stroke ~ Julia; Transforming adulthood: Section 4: Human rights and the life course: Using human rights to defeat ageism ~ Peter Townsend; To empower or to protect: does the law assist in cases of self-neglect? ~ Tim Spencer-Lane; Safeguarding vulnerable adults over the life course ~ Gordon Grant; Section 5: Practice: ways of doing - or not?: Why collaborate? ~ Janet Bardsley; Working in teams: relationships in balance? ~ Geraldine Crewes; 'Tu' or 'Vous'? A European qualitative study of dignity and communication with older people in health and social care settings ~ Gillian Woolhead, Win Tadd, Josep Antoni Boix-Ferrer, Stefan Krajcik, Barbara Schmid-Pfahler, Barbro Spjuth, David Stratton, Paul Dieppe; Assessment: mastering a technical process or exercising an art? ~ Ian Buchanan; Section 6: International dimensions: Globalization and health and social welfare: some key issues ~ Sandy Sieminski; Falling through the cracks in social welfare: invisible adult migrants in the UK ~ Geraldine Lee-Treweek; Decentring social policy? Devolution and the discipline of social policy ~ Charlotte Williams and Gerry Mooney; The intellectual origins of social capital ~ Andrew Gibson; Social services for the aged in Cuba ~ Elizabeth M. Bertera; Perceptions of ageism: views of older people ~ Victor Minichiello, Jan Browne and Hal Kendig; Mental health and mental disorder in a global context ~ David Pilgrim; Real voice: The best it can be ~ Charis Uden; Real voice: Keep the change ~ David Uden; Understanding Adulthood: Section 7: Ethical considerations: The ethics triad: virtues, values and codes of practice ~ George Giarchi; Lying, cheating, breaking promises, and stealing ~ Jacques Thiroux; The individual in social care: the ethics of care and the 'personalisation agenda' in services for older people in England ~ Liz Lloyd; A little bit of heaven for a few? A case analysis ~ Ann Gallagher and Nigel Sykes; Section 8: The Complexity of Real Lives: Mixing methods in a qualitatively driven way ~ Jennifer Mason; Researching social change ~ Julie McLeod and Rachel Thomson; Critically appraising qualitative research ~ Ayelet Kuper, Lorelei Lingard and Wendy Levinson; Learning about bisexuality : a case study approach ~ Rebecca L. Jones; Identifying and predicting drug-related harm with applied qualitative research ~ Stephen Parkin; Experiences of drug use and ageing: Health, quality of life, relationship and service implications ~ Brenda Roe, Caryl Beynon, Ludy Pickering and Paul Duffy; Critical reflections on the rise of qualitative research ~ Catherine Pope and Nicholas Mays; Real voice: Keeper ~ Andrea Gillies.

The editors work in the Faculty of Health and Social Care at The Open University, UK. Jeanne Katz is a medical sociologist whose research has focused on the care of older people in different environments; Sheila Peace is Professor of Social Gerontology and a human geographer by first discipline with expertise in environment and ageing research; Sue Spurr is a curriculum manager in the Faculty and is undertaking a doctorate in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

"This is certainly a very thought-provoking and informative title with much for health and social care practitioners to consider ... a very useful collection of perspectives and research on a topic that is highly pertinent to our time." CNWL NHS Foundation Trust newsletter. "Adult Lives: A Life Course Perspective..contains an exciting mix of new material and extracts from key existing texts..It therefore covers much of social gerontology with a mixture of disciplines." Anthea Tinker, Journal of Ageing and Society "Linked to the Open University's innovative teaching, this reader contains an exciting mix of new material and extracts from key existing texts - interspersed with the voices of real people using services." Jon Glasby, University of Birmingham "Adult Lives is a comprehensive collection of articles covering key issues of environment, social inclusion, human rights and ethical considerations. The inclusion of 'real voices' deepens the insights into diversity of experience in the adult life course." Anne Martin-Matthews, University of British Columbia

• Introduction ~ Jeanne Katz, Sheila Peace and Sue Spurr; Contextualising Adulthood: Introduction ~ Jeanne Katz, Sheila Peace and Sue Spurr; Real voice: The Turnip ~ Jean-Dominique Bauby; Section 1: Quality of life and the life course: The lifecourse perspective on ageing: linked lives, timing, and history ~ Vern L. Bengston, H. Glen, J.R. Elder and Norella M. Putney; Imagining old age ~ Rebecca L. Jones; Quality of life ~ David Phillips; Implications for ageing well in the twenty-first century ~ Ann Bowling; Chronic illness as biographical disruption ~ Michael Bury; Aging with a childhood onset disability ~ Tracie C. Harrison and Alexa Stuifbergen; Section 2: Individual ageing and social relationships: Health and mortality ~ Christina Victor; Psychological ageing ~ Alfons Marcoen, Peter G. Coleman and Ann O'Hanlon; Dementia reconsidered: the person comes first ~ Tom Kitwood; The 'Senses Framework': a relationship centred approach to care ~ Mike Nolan and Serena Allan; Disability and adulthood ~ Mark Priestly; A sense of belonging: informal support from family, friends and acquaintances ~ Christine Bigby; Section 3: The environment: from accommodation to community: Environment and ageing ~ Sheila Peace, Hans-Werner Wahl, Heidrun Mollenkop and Frank Oswald; Life course ~ Caroline Holland and Sheila Peace; The role of technologies in the everyday lives of older people ~ Caroline Holland; Accommodating older and disabled prisoners in England and Wales ~ Barbara M. Glover; Community care and support for black and African Caribbean older people ~ Josie Tetley; 'Exclusion is necessary': excluding people from society ~ Daniel Dorling; Real voice: Have I done enough? ~ Ros Coward; Real voice: Going the distance: a family journey after acute stroke ~ Julia; Transforming adulthood: Section 4: Human rights and the life course: Using human rights to defeat ageism ~ Peter Townsend; To empower or to protect: does the law assist in cases of self-neglect? ~ Tim Spencer-Lane; Safeguarding vulnerable adults over the life course ~ Gordon Grant; Section 5: Practice: ways of doing - or not?: Why collaborate? ~ Janet Bardsley; Working in teams: relationships in balance? ~ Geraldine Crewes; 'Tu' or 'Vous'? A European qualitative study of dignity and communication with older people in health and social care settings ~ Gillian Woolhead, Win Tadd, Josep Antoni Boix-Ferrer, Stefan Krajcik, Barbara Schmid-Pfahler, Barbro Spjuth, David Stratton, Paul Dieppe; Assessment: mastering a technical process or exercising an art? ~ Ian Buchanan; Section 6: International dimensions: Globalization and health and social welfare: some key issues ~ Sandy Sieminski; Falling through the cracks in social welfare: invisible adult migrants in the UK ~ Geraldine Lee-Treweek; Decentring social policy? Devolution and the discipline of social policy ~ Charlotte Williams and Gerry Mooney; The intellectual origins of social capital ~ Andrew Gibson; Social services for the aged in Cuba ~ Elizabeth M. Bertera; Perceptions of ageism: views of older people ~ Victor Minichiello, Jan Browne and Hal Kendig; Mental health and mental disorder in a global context ~ David Pilgrim; Real voice: The best it can be ~ Charis Uden; Real voice: Keep the change ~ David Uden; Understanding Adulthood: Section 7: Ethical considerations: The ethics triad: virtues, values and codes of practice ~ George Giarchi; Lying, cheating, breaking promises, and stealing ~ Jacques Thiroux; The individual in social care: the ethics of care and the 'personalisation agenda' in services for older people in England ~ Liz Lloyd; A little bit of heaven for a few? A case analysis ~ Ann Gallagher and Nigel Sykes; Section 8: The Complexity of Real Lives: Mixing methods in a qualitatively driven way ~ Jennifer Mason; Researching social change ~ Julie McLeod and Rachel Thomson; Critically appraising qualitative research ~ Ayelet Kuper, Lorelei Lingard and Wendy Levinson; Learning about bisexuality : a case study approach ~ Rebecca L. Jones; Identifying and predicting drug-related harm with applied qualitative research ~ Stephen Parkin; Experiences of drug use and ageing: Health, quality of life, relationship and service implications ~ Brenda Roe, Caryl Beynon, Ludy Pickering and Paul Duffy; Critical reflections on the rise of qualitative research ~ Catherine Pope and Nicholas Mays; Real voice: Keeper ~ Andrea Gillies.

The editors work in the Faculty of Health and Social Care at The Open University, UK. Jeanne Katz is a medical sociologist whose research has focused on the care of older people in different environments; Sheila Peace is Professor of Social Gerontology and a human geographer by first discipline with expertise in environment and ageing research; Sue Spurr is a curriculum manager in the Faculty and is undertaking a doctorate in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

"This is certainly a very thought-provoking and informative title with much for health and social care practitioners to consider ... a very useful collection of perspectives and research on a topic that is highly pertinent to our time." CNWL NHS Foundation Trust newsletter. "Adult Lives: A Life Course Perspective..contains an exciting mix of new material and extracts from key existing texts..It therefore covers much of social gerontology with a mixture of disciplines." Anthea Tinker, Journal of Ageing and Society "Linked to the Open University's innovative teaching, this reader contains an exciting mix of new material and extracts from key existing texts - interspersed with the voices of real people using services." Jon Glasby, University of Birmingham "Adult Lives is a comprehensive collection of articles covering key issues of environment, social inclusion, human rights and ethical considerations. The inclusion of 'real voices' deepens the insights into diversity of experience in the adult life course." Anne Martin-Matthews, University of British Columbia

• Introduction ~ Jeanne Katz, Sheila Peace and Sue Spurr; Contextualising Adulthood: Introduction ~ Jeanne Katz, Sheila Peace and Sue Spurr; Real voice: The Turnip ~ Jean-Dominique Bauby; Section 1: Quality of life and the life course: The lifecourse perspective on ageing: linked lives, timing, and history ~ Vern L. Bengston, H. Glen, J.R. Elder and Norella M. Putney; Imagining old age ~ Rebecca L. Jones; Quality of life ~ David Phillips; Implications for ageing well in the twenty-first century ~ Ann Bowling; Chronic illness as biographical disruption ~ Michael Bury; Aging with a childhood onset disability ~ Tracie C. Harrison and Alexa Stuifbergen; Section 2: Individual ageing and social relationships: Health and mortality ~ Christina Victor; Psychological ageing ~ Alfons Marcoen, Peter G. Coleman and Ann O'Hanlon; Dementia reconsidered: the person comes first ~ Tom Kitwood; The 'Senses Framework': a relationship centred approach to care ~ Mike Nolan and Serena Allan; Disability and adulthood ~ Mark Priestly; A sense of belonging: informal support from family, friends and acquaintances ~ Christine Bigby; Section 3: The environment: from accommodation to community: Environment and ageing ~ Sheila Peace, Hans-Werner Wahl, Heidrun Mollenkop and Frank Oswald; Life course ~ Caroline Holland and Sheila Peace; The role of technologies in the everyday lives of older people ~ Caroline Holland; Accommodating older and disabled prisoners in England and Wales ~ Barbara M. Glover; Community care and support for black and African Caribbean older people ~ Josie Tetley; 'Exclusion is necessary': excluding people from society ~ Daniel Dorling; Real voice: Have I done enough? ~ Ros Coward; Real voice: Going the distance: a family journey after acute stroke ~ Julia; Transforming adulthood: Section 4: Human rights and the life course: Using human rights to defeat ageism ~ Peter Townsend; To empower or to protect: does the law assist in cases of self-neglect? ~ Tim Spencer-Lane; Safeguarding vulnerable adults over the life course ~ Gordon Grant; Section 5: Practice: ways of doing - or not?: Why collaborate? ~ Janet Bardsley; Working in teams: relationships in balance? ~ Geraldine Crewes; 'Tu' or 'Vous'? A European qualitative study of dignity and communication with older people in health and social care settings ~ Gillian Woolhead, Win Tadd, Josep Antoni Boix-Ferrer, Stefan Krajcik, Barbara Schmid-Pfahler, Barbro Spjuth, David Stratton, Paul Dieppe; Assessment: mastering a technical process or exercising an art? ~ Ian Buchanan; Section 6: International dimensions: Globalization and health and social welfare: some key issues ~ Sandy Sieminski; Falling through the cracks in social welfare: invisible adult migrants in the UK ~ Geraldine Lee-Treweek; Decentring social policy? Devolution and the discipline of social policy ~ Charlotte Williams and Gerry Mooney; The intellectual origins of social capital ~ Andrew Gibson; Social services for the aged in Cuba ~ Elizabeth M. Bertera; Perceptions of ageism: views of older people ~ Victor Minichiello, Jan Browne and Hal Kendig; Mental health and mental disorder in a global context ~ David Pilgrim; Real voice: The best it can be ~ Charis Uden; Real voice: Keep the change ~ David Uden; Understanding Adulthood: Section 7: Ethical considerations: The ethics triad: virtues, values and codes of practice ~ George Giarchi; Lying, cheating, breaking promises, and stealing ~ Jacques Thiroux; The individual in social care: the ethics of care and the 'personalisation agenda' in services for older people in England ~ Liz Lloyd; A little bit of heaven for a few? A case analysis ~ Ann Gallagher and Nigel Sykes; Section 8: The Complexity of Real Lives: Mixing methods in a qualitatively driven way ~ Jennifer Mason; Researching social change ~ Julie McLeod and Rachel Thomson; Critically appraising qualitative research ~ Ayelet Kuper, Lorelei Lingard and Wendy Levinson; Learning about bisexuality : a case study approach ~ Rebecca L. Jones; Identifying and predicting drug-related harm with applied qualitative research ~ Stephen Parkin; Experiences of drug use and ageing: Health, quality of life, relationship and service implications ~ Brenda Roe, Caryl Beynon, Ludy Pickering and Paul Duffy; Critical reflections on the rise of qualitative research ~ Catherine Pope and Nicholas Mays; Real voice: Keeper ~ Andrea Gillies.