Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences, Seventh Edition

381 Pages·2010·6.353 MB·English

by  Linda George

Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences
The Handbooks

of Aging
Consisting of Three Volumes
Critical comprehensive reviews of
research knowledge, theories, concepts, and issues
Editors-in-Chief
Laura L. Carstensen
and
Thomas A. Rando
Handbook of the Biology of Aging, 7th Edition
Edited by Edward J. Masoro and Steven N. Austad
Handbook of the Psychology of Aging, 7th Edition
Edited by K. Warner Schaie and Sherry L. Willis
Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences, 7th Edition
Edited by Robert H. Binstock and Linda K. George
Handbook of
Aging and the
Social Sciences
7th Edition
Editors
Robert H. Binstock and Linda K. George
Associate Editors
Stephen J. Cutler, Jon Hendricks, and James H. Schulz
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Seventh edition, 2011
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To my wife Martha, my daughter Jenny, and my long-time colleagues/friends
Linda George, Rob Hudson, and Jim Schulz.
—R.H.B.
To Debby Gold, Bob Binstock, Dan Blazer, Harvey J. Cohen, Steve Cutler, Joe Hendricks,
and Lynne Hodgson – closest colleagues, dearer friends.
—L.K.G.
Contributors
Numbers in parentheses indicate the page number on which the author’s contribution begins
Jacqueline L. Angel (163), Department of Sociology, Maria M. Glymour (337), Department of Society,
Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, Population Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of
Research Center, University of Texas, Austin, Texas Public Health, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Camila Arza (251), Latin American School for Social Stephen M. Golant (207), Department of
Sciences/CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina Geography, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
Lisa F. Berkman (337), Department of Society, Deborah T. Gold (235), Departments of Psychiatry &
Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Behavioral Sciences and Sociology, Duke University
Public Health, Cambridge, Massachusetts Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
Robert H. Binstock (265), School of Arts and Ishtar O. Govia (91), University of the West Indies,
Sciences, Medicine, and Nursing, Case Western Reserve Mona, Jamaica; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor,
University, Cleveland, Ohio Michigan
J. Scott Brown (105), Department of Sociology and Jon Hendricks (221), Emeritus, Honors College,
Gerontology and Scripps Gerontology Center, Miami Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
University, Oxford, Ohio
Pamela Herd (121), Department of Sociology,
University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
Andrea L. Campbell (265), Department of
Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Scott M. Hofer (135), Department of Psychology,
Cambridge, Massachusetts
University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Stephen J. Cutler (221), Emeritus, Department of
James S. House (121), Department of Sociology
Sociology, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont
and Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of
Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Dale Dannefer (3), Department of Sociology, Case
Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio James S. Jackson (91), University of Michigan, Ann
Arbor, Michigan
Karen A. Ertel (337), Department of Society, Human
Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Martin Kohli (251), Department of Political and Social
Health, Cambridge, Massachusetts Sciences, European University Institute, Florence, Italy
Elizabeth Frankenberg (73), Sanford School of Scott M. Lynch (105), Department of Sociology and
Public Policy, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina Office Population Resarch, Princeton University, Princeton,
New Jersey
Vicki A. Freedman (57), Institute for Social Research,
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan Linda G. Martin (33), RAND Corporation, Arlington,
Virginia
Linda K. George (149), Department of Sociology and
Center for the Study of Aging, Duke University, Durham, Madonna Harrington Meyer (323), Center for
North Carolina Policy Research, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York
John Gist (353), The George Washington University, Marilyn Moon (295), American Institutes for
Washington, DC Research, Silver Spring, Maryland
ix
Contributors
Stipica Mudrazija (163), Lyndon B. Johnson School Sherrill L. Sellers (91), Miami University, Oxford,
of Public Affairs, Population Research Center, University Ohio
of Texas, Austin, Texas
Duncan Thomas (73), Department of Economics,
S. Jay Olshansky (47), School of Public Health, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
University of Illinois in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
Ben Veghte (175), National Academy of Social
Greg O’Neill (221), National Academy on an Aging Insurance, Washington, DC
Society, Gerontological Society of America, Washington, DC
Joshua M. Wiener (309), RTI International,
Wendy M. Parker (323), Albany College of Pharmacy Washington, DC
and Health Sciences, Albany, New York
John B. Williamson (281), Department of Sociology,
Virginia P. Reno (175), National Academy of Social Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Insurance, Washington, DC
Yang Yang (17), Department of Sociology &
Sara E. Rix (193), AARP, Washington, DC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of
North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Stephanie A. Robert (121), School of Social Work,
University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
Michael J. Shanahan (135), Department of
Sociology and Center for Developmental Science,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill,
North Carolina
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Foreword
Advances in science and technology in the twentieth century reshaped twenty-first-century
life in industrialized nations around the world. Living conditions so improved that infant
and childhood mortality were profoundly reduced and medical advances in the prevention
and treatment of leading causes of death among adults, such as heart disease and cancer,
further extended the lives of older individuals. As a result, in the course of a single cen-
tury, the average life expectancy in developed countries nearly doubled. For the first time
in human history, old age became a normative stage in life. Not only are individuals liv-
ing longer on average, but populations have begun to age as a result of this increase in life
expectancy along with a precipitous drop in fertility rates. Countries in the developed world
are rapidly reaching the point where there will be more people over 60 than under 15.
Thus, the status of older people holds ramifications for the functioning of entire societies.
Even though the near-doubling of life expectancy was a spectacular achievement, there
were not concurrent advances in our ability to alleviate the disabling conditions of later life.
Nor were there sociological advances to create a world as responsive to the needs of very old
people as to those of the very young. In order to realize the enormous potential of longer
life, scientists must come to a more comprehensive understanding of human aging and the
social, psychological, and biological factors that contribute to optimal outcomes. Along
with the phenomenal advances in the genetic determinants of longevity and susceptibility
to age-related diseases has come an awareness of the critical importance of environmental
factors that modulate and even supersede genetic predispositions. This series provides a bal-
anced perspective of the interacting factors that contribute to human aging.
The Handbooks of Aging series, consisting of three separate volumes, the Handbook of the
Biology of Aging, the Handbook of the Psychology of Aging, and the Handbook of Aging and the
Social Sciences, is now in its seventh edition and has provided a foundation for an under-
standing of the issues of aging that are relevant both to the individual and to societies at
large. Because discoveries in these fields have been both rapid and broad, the series has
played a uniquely important role for students and scientists. By synthesizing and updat-
ing progress, they offer state-of-the-art reviews of the most recent advances. By continually
featuring new topics and involving new authors, they have pushed innovation and fostered
new ideas. With the explosion of information and research on aging in recent decades,
there has been a concomitant increase in the number of college and university courses and
programs focused on aging and longevity. The Handbook of Aging series has provided knowl-
edge bases for instruction in these continually changing fields.
Indeed, the Handbooks are resources for teachers and students alike, providing informa-
tion for didactics and inspiration for further research. Given the breadth and depth of the
material covered, they serve as both a source of the most current information and as an
overview of the various fields. One of the greatest strengths of the chapters in the Handbooks
is the synthesis afforded by authors who are at the forefront of research and thus provide
expert perspectives on the issues that currently define and challenge each field. The interdis-
ciplinary nature of aging research is exemplified by the overlap in concepts in chapters rang-
ing from basic biology to sociology.
We express our deepest thanks to the editors of the individual volumes for their incred-
ible dedication and contributions. It is their efforts to which the excellence of the products
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Foreword
is largely credited. We thank Drs. Edward J. Masoro and Steven N. Austad, editors of the
Handbook of the Biology of Aging; Drs. K. Warner Schaie and Sherry L. Willis, editors of the
Handbook of the Psychology of Aging; and Drs. Robert H. Binstock and Linda K. George, editors
of the Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences. We would also like to express our appre-
ciation to Nikki Levy, our publisher at Elsevier, whose profound interest and dedication
has facilitated the publication of the Handbooks through their many editions. And, finally,
we extend our deepest gratitude to James Birren for establishing and shepherding the series
through the first six editions.
Thomas A. Rando, Laura L. Carstensen
Center on Longevity, Stanford University
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