Download or read book Diversity and Aging in the Social Environment written by Sherry M. Cummings and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-05-06 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Today, nearly one of every eight Americans is 65 or older, and by 2030, over 20% of the population will be in this age group. Are you prepared to work with this vastly diverse—and rapidly growing—population? This single source is designed to help social service professionals provide effective services to America’s vastly diverse and rapidly growing elderly population. Diversity and Aging in the Social Environment explores the impact of race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and geographic location on elders’ strengths, challenges, needs, and resources to provide you with a more complete understanding of the issues elders face. In order to be more responsive to older adults, social workers and other human service professionals need to enhance their knowledge of the aging population and the factors that impact the way seniors interact with society, organizations, community resources, neighborhoods, support networks, kinship groups, family, and friends. Diversity and Aging in the Social Environment examines differences in race, ethnicity, geographical location, sexual orientation, religion, and health status to help current and future human service professionals provide culturally competent services to the diverse range of elderly people they serve. In addition, it addresses the wide disparity that exists for older Americans in terms of income and assets, number of chronic conditions, functional and cognitive impairment, housing arrangements, and access to health care. This book provides a context for the examination of diversity issues among older adults by describing and discussing several theoretical perspectives on aging that highlight important aspects of diversity. Next, you’ll find thoughtful examinations of: issues and challenges faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender elders—and the strengths they bring into later life the impact of gender, race, and sexual orientation on prevalence rates, risk factors, methods of disease contraction, and mortality rates among older adults with HIV/AIDS—along with a discussion of the psychosocial issues they face diverse characteristics of custodial grandparents—and the influence of the caregivers’ gender, race, age, and geographic location on methods of care and available caregiver support differences in caregiver characteristics, service utilization, caregiver strain, and coping mechanisms among several racial/ethnic groups of adults who care for elderly, disabled, and ill persons cultural/religious factors that influence interactions between health care personnel and Japanese-American elders the relationship between acculturation and depressive symptoms among Mexican-American couples life challenges facing Jewish and African-American elders—with a look at each group’s coping mechanisms differences in religious/spiritual coping skills among Native American, African-American, and white elders psychological well-being and religiosity among a diverse group of rural elders

Download or read book Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2020-05-14 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Social isolation and loneliness are serious yet underappreciated public health risks that affect a significant portion of the older adult population. Approximately one-quarter of community-dwelling Americans aged 65 and older are considered to be socially isolated, and a significant proportion of adults in the United States report feeling lonely. People who are 50 years of age or older are more likely to experience many of the risk factors that can cause or exacerbate social isolation or loneliness, such as living alone, the loss of family or friends, chronic illness, and sensory impairments. Over a life course, social isolation and loneliness may be episodic or chronic, depending upon an individual's circumstances and perceptions. A substantial body of evidence demonstrates that social isolation presents a major risk for premature mortality, comparable to other risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, or obesity. As older adults are particularly high-volume and high-frequency users of the health care system, there is an opportunity for health care professionals to identify, prevent, and mitigate the adverse health impacts of social isolation and loneliness in older adults. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults summarizes the evidence base and explores how social isolation and loneliness affect health and quality of life in adults aged 50 and older, particularly among low income, underserved, and vulnerable populations. This report makes recommendations specifically for clinical settings of health care to identify those who suffer the resultant negative health impacts of social isolation and loneliness and target interventions to improve their social conditions. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults considers clinical tools and methodologies, better education and training for the health care workforce, and dissemination and implementation that will be important for translating research into practice, especially as the evidence base for effective interventions continues to flourish.

Download or read book The Environment for Aging written by Russell A. Ward and published by University of Alabama Press. This book was released on 1988 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The nature and consequences of aging depend on its environmental context, and the literature does not treat the various environmental dimensions in an integrated fashion. The authors introduce a general approach to the human ecosystem, highlighting theoretical and empirical issues necessary to an understanding of person-environment interaction related to aging. They then investigate in detail three aspects of the environment of older persons: residential and neighborhood, interpersonal support networks, and age-related attitudes. They give specific attention to the impact of the age composition of neighborhoods and interpersonal networks. The authors present findings from their interview survey of 1,185 community residents aged 60 and over. Major findings from the interviews include: Despite objective neighborhood problems, older persons express high neighborhood satisfaction. This partly reflects limited residential options, as well as a passive and vicarious spatial experience. The environment is experienced in diverse ways; however, urbanism and personal competence shape the nature and outcomes of person-environment interaction. Older persons have relatively robust interpersonal support networks. Perceived sufficiency of contact and support are more salient to morale than are more objective measures of interpersonal support. Although attitudes toward other older people are generally favorable, patterns of age identity reflect a detrimental view of aging. There is little evidence that socialization for aging or age-group solidarity make aging “easier” in this regard. Older persons exhibit moderate age homogeneity within their interpersonal networks, partly reflecting neighborhood age concentration. Contrary to the apparent benefits of planned age-segregated housing, age homogeneity in neighborhoods and networks does not contribute to well-being. The authors examine three major themes in their concluding chapter; age itself does not “loom large” in the lives of these community residents, though age becomes salient under certain conditions; there is diversity in the implications of the environmental context for aging, in particular reflecting an “environmental docility” hypothesis; and aging must be viewed in interactional or transactional terms—older people “construct” the environment as a subjective entity.

Download or read book The Social Context of Ageing written by Christina Victor and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2004-12-20 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This comprehensive text focuses on the social contexts of ageing, looking at the diversity of ageing and older people, and at different factors that are important to experiences of old age and ageing. It includes key chapters on: theoretical and methodological bases for the study of ageing demographic context of the 'ageing' population health and illness family and social networks formal and informal care and other services for older people. Providing an invaluable introduction to the major issues involved in the study of ageing, this book is essential reading for students of sociology, gerontology, social policy, health and social care, and professionals working with older people.

Download or read book Ageing Diversity and Equality written by Sue Westwood and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ageing, Diversity and Equality challenges and provoke the above described normativity and offer an alternative approach which highlights the heterogeneity and diversity of ageing, associated inequalities and their intersections.

Download or read book Aging written by Leslie Morgan and published by Pine Forge Press. This book was released on 2001 with total page 542 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW edition! More than any other social gerontology texts available, addresses issues of diversity in aging by race, ethnicity, social class, and gender throughout.

Download or read book Ageing and Diversity written by Daatland, Svein Olav and published by Policy Press. This book was released on 2006-04-05 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Assessing the stereotyped conceptions of ageing, this book explores the diversity of individual pathways of ageing, the sources of identifications, migration and otherness, and the tension between social structures and personal agency. It is aimed at academics, students and practitioners in the fields of sociology, social psychology and welfare

Download or read book Healthy Aging in Sociocultural Context written by Andrew E. Scharlach and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Healthy Aging in Sociocultural Context examines conceptual models and realities of healthy aging in three countries - the United States, Sweden, and Japan - that are at the forefront of population aging and diversity, considering how healthy aging reflects the intersection of individual and societal factors, including immigration and labor force participation. This examination results in an integrated conceptual model of healthy aging, which serves as the basis for policies and programs - including intergenerational and intercultural programs, policies, and socialization opportunities designed to promote healthy aging education - that have worldwide implications.

Download or read book Aging Society and the Life Course Fourth Edition written by Leslie A. Morgan and published by Springer Publishing Company. This book was released on 2011-03-15 with total page 375 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Print+CourseSmart

Download or read book Aging and Diversity written by Chandra M. Mehrotra and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2013-03-07 with total page 449 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This new edition has been completely rewritten and includes chapters that address key topics in diversity and aging: research methods, psychological aging; health beliefs, behaviors, and services; health disparities; informal and formal care for older persons; work and retirement; religious affiliation and spirituality; and death, dying, and bereavement. Taking a broad view of diversity, Mehrotra and Wagner discuss elements of diversity such as gender, race or ethnicity, religious affiliation, social class, rural-urban community location and sexual orientation. Including these elements allows them to convey some of the rich complexities of our diverse culture - complexities that provide both challenges to meet the needs of diverse population and opportunities to learn how to live in a pluralistic society. Throughout the book, Mehrotra and Wagner present up-to-date knowledge and scholarship in a way that engages readers in active learning. Rather than simply transmitting information, the authors place ongoing emphasis on developing readers’ knowledge and skills; fostering higher order thinking and encouraging exploration of personal values and attitudes. Distinctive features of the book include: Opening vignettes for each chapter that present a sampling of how the issues to be discussed apply to diverse elders. Active learning experiences that invite readers to interview diverse elders, conduct internet searches, and give an analysis of a case study. Quizzes at the end of the chapters help readers ascertain the extent to which they have learned the material; the key for each quiz includes details about correct and incorrect responses so that additional learning can occur. Aging and Diversity Online boxes interspersed throughout the book provide internet resources that readers may use to find new research and publications. Suggested readings and audiovisual resources given at the end of each chapter serve as a guide to additional information on topics covered in the chapter. This approach of presenting the material will help the readers understand and apply key concepts and principles in ways that will not only improve the lives of older people they serve, but will also enhance their own aging experience.

Download or read book Critical Perspectives on Racial and Ethnic Differences in Health in Late Life written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2004-10-16 with total page 753 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In their later years, Americans of different racial and ethnic backgrounds are not in equally good-or equally poor-health. There is wide variation, but on average older Whites are healthier than older Blacks and tend to outlive them. But Whites tend to be in poorer health than Hispanics and Asian Americans. This volume documents the differentials and considers possible explanations. Selection processes play a role: selective migration, for instance, or selective survival to advanced ages. Health differentials originate early in life, possibly even before birth, and are affected by events and experiences throughout the life course. Differences in socioeconomic status, risk behavior, social relations, and health care all play a role. Separate chapters consider the contribution of such factors and the biopsychosocial mechanisms that link them to health. This volume provides the empirical evidence for the research agenda provided in the separate report of the Panel on Race, Ethnicity, and Health in Later Life.

Download or read book New Directions in the Sociology of Aging written by Panel on New Directions in Social Demography, Social Epidemiology, and the Sociology of Aging and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2014-01-09 with total page 301 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The aging of the population of the United States is occurring at a time of major economic and social changes. These economic changes include consideration of increases in the age of eligibility for Social Security and Medicare and possible changes in benefit levels. Furthermore, changes in the social context in which older individuals and families function may well affect the nature of key social relationships and institutions that define the environment for older persons. Sociology offers a knowledge base, a number of useful analytic approaches and tools, and unique theoretical perspectives that can facilitate understanding of these demographic, economic, and social changes and, to the extent possible, their causes, consequences and implications. The Future of the Sociology of Aging: An Agenda for Action evaluates the recent contributions of social demography, social epidemiology and sociology to the study of aging and identifies promising new research directions in these sub-fields. Included in this study are nine papers prepared by experts in sociology, demography, social genomics, public health, and other fields, that highlight the broad array of tools and perspectives that can provide the basis for further advancing the understanding of aging processes in ways that can inform policy. This report discusses the role of sociology in what is a wide-ranging and diverse field of study; a proposed three-dimensional conceptual model for studying social processes in aging over the life cycle; a review of existing databases, data needs and opportunities, primarily in the area of measurement of interhousehold and intergenerational transmission of resources, biomarkers and biosocial interactions; and a summary of roadblocks and bridges to transdisciplinary research that will affect the future directions of the field of sociology of aging.

Download or read book The Collective Spirit of Aging Across Cultures written by Halaevalu F.Ofahengaue Vakalahi and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2014-01-28 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The collective, inclusive, and intersectional framework used in this book speaks to the significance of understanding aging across diverse cultures from multiple perspectives, but still as a shared human experience. The underlying message of the book is that although we are unique and different in our aging processes, we are ultimately connected through this physical, mental and spiritual experience of aging. Thus, regardless of whether we are service providers, service recipients, educators or merely fellow human beings, it is important that we approach the aging experience through a collective lens for discovering and sharing resources as we age; honoring the past while simultaneously accepting that the future is here. A few select examples of key findings from this collaborative work are as follows. First, despite progress in the field, certain issues remain to be addressed including the challenges of racism and sexism, mistreatment, the digital divide, poverty, and other social and economic crises in urban and rural communities as they relate to our aging population. Second, the need for sustaining a sense of independence among the aged and interdependence among supportive systems is warranted. Third, our elders continue to benefit from culturally competent services community-based health interventions and social services that addresses normative and emerging challenges for them. Fourth, spirituality in both indigenous and contemporary perspectives remains important for our elders’ development and quality of life.

Download or read book Aging and Cultural Diversity written by Heather Strange and published by Praeger. This book was released on 1987-07-30 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Aging and Milieu written by Graham D. Rowles and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2013-09-17 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Aging and Milieu: Environmental Perspectives on Growing Old is a collection of essays that presents insight into the area of aging-environment research. The book focuses primarily on the physical, phenomenological, cultural, social, and clinical environmental context of an old person. Part I explores alternative conceptions of aging and milieu. The second part discusses the old-person-environment transaction. Part III covers the social context of milieu or the notion of how social relationships mediate and condition the symbiotic relationships between the old person and the physical environment. Gerontologists, sociologists, psychologists, architects, and urban planners will find this book interesting.

Download or read book Ageing Diversity and Equality written by Sue Westwood and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-10-31 with total page 391 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Current understandings of ageing and diversity are impoverished in three main ways. Firstly, with regards to thinking about what inequalities operate in later life there has been an excessive preoccupation with economic resources. On the other hand, less attention has been paid to cultural norms and values, other resources, wider social processes, political participation and community engagement. Secondly, in terms of thinking about the ‘who’ of inequality, this has so far been limited to a very narrow range of minority populations. Finally, when considering the ‘how’ of inequality, social gerontology’s theoretical analyses remain under-developed. The overall effect of these issues is that social gerontology remains deeply embedded in normative assumptions which serve to exclude a wide range of older people. Ageing, Diversity and Equality aims to challenge and provoke the above described normativity and offer an alternative approach which highlights the heterogeneity and diversity of ageing, associated inequalities and their intersections. The Open Access version of this book, available at https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781351851329, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 licence.

Download or read book Understanding Aging and Diversity written by Patricia Kolb and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-07-11 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The demographic phenomena of increased life expectancy, increasing global population of older adults, and a larger number of older people as a proportion of the total population in nations throughout the world will affect our lives and the life of each person we know. The changes will result in challenges and benefits for societies and people of all ages. These events need to be understood, explained, and their consequences addressed; sociological theories about aging are an essential part of this process. In Understanding Aging and Diversity: Theories and Concepts, Patricia Kolb presents important sociological theories and concepts for understanding experiences of older people and their families in a rapidly changing world. She explores concepts from phenomenology, critical theory, feminist theory, life course theory and gerotranscendence theory to explain important issues in the lives of older people. This book investigates similarities and differences in aging experiences, focusing in particular on the effects of inequality. Kolb examines the relationship of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation and social class to international aging experiences. This book explores the relationships between older people and social systems in different ways, and informs thinking about policy development and other strategies for enhancing the wellbeing of older adults. It will be useful for students and scholars of sociology, gerontology, social work, anthropology, economics, demography and global studies.