Miriam Bernard – författare

Family life has changed rapidly over te past fifty years and the number of people living longer increases year on year Family and Community Life of Older People revisits three areas (Bethnal Green in London, Wolverhampton in the Midlands and Woodford in Essex) which were the subject of classic studies in the late 1940s and 1950s and explores changes to the family and community lives of older people. The book examines issues such as:*changes in household composition*changes in the geographical proximity of kin and relatives*the extent and type of help provided by the family*contact and relationships with neighbours*relationships with friends*involvement in social and leisure activities*experiences of minority ethnic groups.These questions are explored through a unique set of data including census material, and survey data from interviews with over 600 older people. A key finding is that over the past 50 years we have moved from an old age experienced within the context of the family group to one shaped by personal communities in which friends may feature as significantly as immediate kin and relatives.Family and Community Life of Older People is a major contribution to the sociology of the family, of ageing, and of urban life and points up the social policy issues for an ageing society.

Family life has changed rapidly over te past fifty years and the number of people living longer increases year on year Family and Community Life of Older People revisits three areas (Bethnal Green in London, Wolverhampton in the Midlands and Woodford in Essex) which were the subject of classic studies in the late 1940s and 1950s and explores changes to the family and community lives of older people. The book examines issues such as:*changes in household composition*changes in the geographical proximity of kin and relatives*the extent and type of help provided by the family*contact and relationships with neighbours*relationships with friends*involvement in social and leisure activities*experiences of minority ethnic groups.These questions are explored through a unique set of data including census material, and survey data from interviews with over 600 older people. A key finding is that over the past 50 years we have moved from an old age experienced within the context of the family group to one shaped by personal communities in which friends may feature as significantly as immediate kin and relatives.Family and Community Life of Older People is a major contribution to the sociology of the family, of ageing, and of urban life and points up the social policy issues for an ageing society.

Women Ageing provides a better understanding of what ageing is like for women and challenges the myths which have grown up around the ageing process. Blending the scholarly, the personal and the political, it reveals the range of strategies and identities women adopt to manage the transitions of the second half of the life course. In doing so it uncovers not only the commonalities and the similarities between mid-life and older women, but also some of the variation and diversity relating to ethnicity and race, class, disability and sexual orientation.Women Ageing makes the ordinary lives of ordinary women as, in this instance, they grow older, more visible. Its findings have important implications for policy and practice. All those studying or working with older people, will find it an illuminating text.

Women Ageing provides a better understanding of what ageing is like for women and challenges the myths which have grown up around the ageing process. Blending the scholarly, the personal and the political, it reveals the range of strategies and identities women adopt to manage the transitions of the second half of the life course. In doing so it uncovers not only the commonalities and the similarities between mid-life and older women, but also some of the variation and diversity relating to ethnicity and race, class, disability and sexual orientation.Women Ageing makes the ordinary lives of ordinary women as, in this instance, they grow older, more visible. Its findings have important implications for policy and practice. All those studying or working with older people, will find it an illuminating text.

This important book brings together some of the best known international scholars working within a critical gerontology perspective. Together, they review and update our understanding of how the field has developed over the last twenty-five years and, through the lens of ''passionate scholarship'', provide a challenging assessment of the complex practical and ethical issues facing older people, and those who conduct research on ageing, in the 21st century. 

The contributions extend the critical gerontological approach conceptually, methodologically and practically. They offer close and scholarly analysis of policies affecting the lives of older people and provide insights into why research is done in particular ways. Special attention is paid to feminist contributions and new approaches to working in partnership with older people; age discrimination and ageism; the impact of neo-liberal policies and the passage of various human rights instruments; the re-medicalisation of later life; the participation of older people in research; and justice between generations. The editors and contributors offer suggestions for promoting change, and an exciting set of visions and perspectives for the renewal and development of critical gerontology in the years ahead.

"Critical Perspectives on Ageing Societies" will be a valuable resource for all students, academics and practitioners interested in ageing and the life course.