Transitions of Aging

Transitions of Aging is a compilation of papers that deals with gerontology, particularly on the rural aged and aging women. This book discusses the aging transition both as social and biological phenomenon; that physical health can be better, as well as the social, spatial, and economic environment surrounding places of aging. This text also focuses on rural aging and the strong bond of an extended family, which can offer lessons to healthy aging.
As regards aging in women, the book examines the problems they are confronted with and the programs that have been developed to deal with them. Part I addresses the personal transition of aging such as life satisfaction, physical activity, and competency in older women. Part II discusses family transitions of aging that include intergenerational relationships, widowhood, the clinical psychology of later life, and the economic status of late middle-aged widows. Part III describes the environmental transitions that the aging experiences such as aging and attachment to a certain place (for example, in an Appalachian community) and the older person's reaction as an initiator or a responder when he or she is confronted with environmental changes. This book also discusses studies made on institutionalization of the aged.
This text is suitable for psychologists, gerontologists, sociologists, and social workers dealing with the aged, particularly the female senior.

Contenu

List of Contributors
Preface
Acknowledgments
Part I Personal Transitions of Aging
Chapter 1 Adaptive Dimensions of Adult Cognition
Dualistic Tensions in Models of Cognitive Aging
Intellectual Transitions in Later Life
Implications and Reinterpretations
Conclusions and Caveats
References
Chapter 2 Life Satisfaction Research in Aging: Implications for Policy Development
Why Examine Life Satisfaction?
Findings with Regard to Life Satisfaction
Life Satisfaction Research and Policy
Conclusion
References
Chapter 3 Physical Activity as It Relates to the Health of the Aged
Declining Involvement in Physical Activity as a Function of Age
Attitudes toward Participating in Physical Activity among the Elderly
Role of Physical Activity in the Mental Health of the Elderly
Summary and Recommendations
Reference Notes
References
Chapter 4 The Competent Older Woman
The Concept of Competence
The Growth of Competence
Competence in Childhood: Women's Interpretations
Competence in Adulthood
The Competent Older Woman
The Varieties of Competence
Discussion
Conclusion
References
Part II Family Transitions of Aging
Chapter 5 Intergenerational Relations in Later Life: A Family System Approach
Family Systems
Rural-Urban
Measurement
Developmental Effects
Summary
References
Chapter 6 The Widowed Family Member
Widowhood as a Neglected Aspect of Family Sociology
Widows and Widowers: Similarities and Differences
The Influence of Education and Social Class on Widowhood
Early Problems of Widowhood
The Reconstruction of Social Life Space in Widowhood
Remarriage and Other Relations with the Opposite Sex
Support Systems Involving Widows
Role Changes of People Who Are Widowed
Summary and Conclusion
References
Chapter 7 The Clinical Psychology of Later Life: Developmental Paradigms
Men: The Masculine Protesters
Threats to the Older Woman
References
Chapter 8 Economic Status of Late Middle-Aged Widows
Methodology
Results
Summary and Conclusions
Part III Environmental Transitions In Aging
Chapter 9 Growing Old "Inside": Aging and Attachment to Place in an Appalachian Community
The Appalachian Aging Project
References
Chapter 10 Environmental Change: The Older Person as Initiator and Responder
Environment-Relevant Changes in the Individual
Aging-in-Place
Aging in a New Place
Conclusion
References
Chapter 11 Institutionalization of the Aged
Institutionalization as a Ubiquitous Event
A Longitudinal Study
A Forward Look
References
Subject Index