Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences

The Fifth Edition of the Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences reflects the growth of ideas, information, and research literature in the social aspects of aging. Building upon the first four editions, the Handbook is substantially expanded with eleven new topics, including the demography of aging, the social psychology of health, social support, chronic care, and role transitions in aging. Fourteen additional chapters on the main avenues of research in social science and aging round out the volume. Intended for use by researchers, professional practitioners, and students in the field of aging, the Handbook is divided into four sections, covering theory and research methodology, aging and social structure, social factors and social institutions associated with aging, and social interventions. Suitable as both a textbook and a reference tool, the Handbook is a comprehensive source for information on aging and the social sciences.

Robert H. Binstock has been Professor of Aging, Health, and Society at Case Western Reserve University since 1985, following two decades at Brandeis University. A former President of the Gerontological society of America (1975-1976), he has served as director of a White House Task Force on Older Americans (1967-1968) and as chairman and member of a number of advisory panels to the United States government, state and local governments, and foundations. He is presently Chairman of the Gerontological Health Section of the American Public Health Association. Professor Binstock is the author of more than 150 articles on the politics and policies affecting aging, and his 19 books include the three previous editions of the Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences, The Future of Long-Term Care: Social and Policy Issues (1996, and Dementia and Aging: Ethics, Values, and Policy Choices (1992). Among the honors he has received for contributions to geronotology and the well-being of older persons are the Kent and the Brookdale Awards from the Gerontological Society of America, the Key Award from the American Public Health Association, the American Society on Aging Award, and the Arthur S. Flemming Award from the national Association of State Units on Aging.

Linda K. George is Professor of Sociology at Duke University, where she also serves as Associate Director of the Duke University Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development. She is a former President of the Gerontological Society of America (1993-1994) and a member of the Executive Committee of the Aging Section of the American Sociological Society. She is former editor of the Journal of Gerontology, Social Sciences Section and is currently on the Editorial Boards of the American Sociological Review and the Journal of Aging and Health. Professor George is the author of more than 150 journal articles and book chapters. Her six books include Quality of Life Among Older Adults (1980) (co-authored by Lucille Bearon), which has been in print continuously for 15 years. She co-edited the Third Edition of the Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences. Her major research interests include social factors and illness, stress and coping, and subjective well-being, all of which she examines primarily in the context of later life. Among the honors Professor George has received are Phi Betta Kappa, the Duke University Trinity College Distinguished Teaching Award, and the W. Fred Cottrell Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Aging. Professor George received her B.A. and M.A. degrees in Sociology from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. She received her Ph.D. in Sociology from Duke University and also completed a postdoctoral research fellowship in aging there.