The Life Course in Context
The Life Course in Context

Author: Kyong Hee Chee

Publisher:

Published: 2014-12-30

Total Pages: 236

ISBN-13: 9781621317340

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"The Life Course in Context introduces undergraduate and graduate students to the main themes and concepts of the life course perspective. It shows how these concepts are applied to the analysis of life course events and provides insight into the importance of considering cultural and historical context when examining the life course. The studies in the collection have been grouped into four sections. Section one introduces the life course perspective as a dynamic theoretical approach and illustrates how it can be applied to studying the multiple connections between neighborhoods and individuals' health. Section two incorporates a multicultural perspective to shed light on the early years of the life course. In section three students gain a deeper understanding of family and employment patterns and expectations during adulthood, and in Section four the studies explore aging and dying as they are viewed within a cultural context. The Life Course in Context is well suited to courses that address social issues related to life course transitions. It is also a useful supplement to gerontology courses that examine aging from a life course perspective. Kyong Hee Chee holds a Ph.D in sociology from Iowa State University. She is an associate professor of sociology at Texas State University, where she participated in the creation of the university's new master's of science program in dementia and aging studies, which is the first of its kind in the United States. Her research interests include aging and the life course and community development. Her work has been published in The Gerontologist, the International Journal of Sociology of the Family, and Sociological Spectrum. In 2008 the Gerontological Society of America awarded her its Civic Engagement in an Older America Project Senior Scholar Award."

Aging and the Life Course
Aging and the Life Course

Author: Deborah Lowry

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2022-01-10

Total Pages: 415

ISBN-13: 1538143267

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Aging & the Life Course: Social & Cultural Contexts provides an accessible, up-to-date introduction to the study of aging and the life course from a distinctly sociological perspective. It explores the sociocultural dimensions of aging while encouraging critical thinking about the diversity of aging experiences, societal attitudes toward older adults, the politics and economics of growing old, and end-of-life resources. Throughout the text, Deborah Lowry emphasizes the relevance of the material for working with older populations, understanding social policy and policy debates, improving communities, relating to others, and understanding ourselves. Organized into four major sections, Part I introduces students to fundamental demographic, sociological, and life course concepts; part II explores the experiences and conditions of aging, especially in particular groups; and part III presents current research on older adults’ engagement in work, family, social networks, and sex. Finally, Part IV addresses themes of aging and social change.

A Life-Course Perspective on Migration and Integration
A Life-Course Perspective on Migration and Integration

Author: Matthias Wingens

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2011-07-14

Total Pages: 301

ISBN-13: 9400715455

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Over the last four decades the sociological life course approach with its focus on the interplay of structure and agency over time life course perspective has become an important research perspective in the social sciences. Yet, while it has successfully been applied to almost all fields of social inquiry it is much less used in research studying migrant populations and their integration patterns. This is puzzling since understanding immigrants’ integration requires just the kind of dynamic research approach this approach puts forward: any integration theory actually refers to life course processes. This volume shows fruitful cross-linkages between the two research traditions. A range of studies are presented that all apply sociological life course concepts to research on migrants and migrant groups in Europe. The book is organized thematically, indicating different important domains in the life course. Using a wide variety of methodological approaches, it covers both quantitative studies based on population census data and survey material as well as qualitative studies based on interviews. Attention is paid to the life courses of those who migrated themselves as well as their offspring. The studies cover different European countries, relating to one national context or a particular local setting in a city as well as cross-country comparisons. Overall the book shows that applying the sociological life course approach to migration and integration research may advance our understanding of immigrant settlement patterns as well as further develop the life course perspective

Life in the Middle
Life in the Middle

Author: Sherry L. Willis

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 1998-11-03

Total Pages: 323

ISBN-13: 0080525679

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There is a growing body of scientific knowledge regarding development during the middle years which has so far been relegated to discipline-specific texts and journals (e.g., clinical psychology and endocrinology). Life in the Middle consolidates main findings across disciplines, with a life-span perspective regarding mid-life. Coverage includes individual development in middle age from the psychological and biological perspectives as well as the sociocultural context in which middle-aged individuals live and work, including physical health in mid-life, psychological well-being, cognitive development, the impact of work on the individual, and the general development of the "self." This age period is increasingly becoming the focus of scholarly attention as the largest cohort in U.S. history are now moving into the middle years (e.g., the "babyboomers"). From 1990 to 2015 the number of middle-aged people will increase 72 percent from 47 to 80 million. - Contributors are outstanding scholars in the field of adult development - Addresses critical theoretical issues in midlife - Includes important contributions to our understanding of physical health at midlife - Presents a thorough review of women's health at midlife - Takes a holistic approach to biopsychosocial functioning at midlife

Handbook of the Life Course
Handbook of the Life Course

Author: Michael J. Shanahan

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2015-10-26

Total Pages: 709

ISBN-13: 3319208802

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Building on the success of the 2003 Handbook of the Life Course, this second volume identifies future directions for life course research and policy. The introductory essay and the chapters that make up the five sections of this book, show consensus on strategic “next steps” in life course studies. These next steps are explored in detail in each section: Section I, on life course theory, provides fresh perspectives on well-established topics, including cohorts, life stages, and legal and regulatory contexts. It challenges life course scholars to move beyond common individualistic paradigms. Section II highlights changes in major institutional and organizational contexts of the life course. It draws on conceptual advances and recent empirical findings to identify promising avenues for research that illuminate the interplay between structure and agency. It examines trends in family, school, and workplace, as well as contexts that deserve heightened attention, including the military, the criminal justice system, and natural and man-made disaster. The remaining three sections consider advances and suggest strategic opportunities in the study of health and development throughout the life course. They explore methodological innovations, including qualitative and three-generational longitudinal research designs, causal analysis, growth curves, and the study of place. Finally, they show ways to build bridges between life course research and public policy.

Family Stories and the Life Course
Family Stories and the Life Course

Author: Michael W. Pratt

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2004-04-26

Total Pages: 470

ISBN-13: 1135632464

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This edited book draws from work that focuses on the act of telling family stories, as well as their content and structure. The process of telling family stories is linked to central aspects of development, including language acquisition, affect regulation, and family interaction patterns. This book extends across traditional developmental psychology, personality theory, and family studies. Drawing broadly on the epigenetic framework for individual development articulated by Erik Erikson, as well as on conceptions of the family life cycle, the editors bring together contemporary examples of psychological research on family stories and their implications for development and change at different points in the life course. The book is divided into sections that focus on family stories at different points in the life cycle, from early childhood and the beginnings of narrative skill, through adolescence, young adulthood, midlife, and then mature adulthood and its intergenerational meaning. During each of these periods of the life cycle, research focusing on individual development within an Eriksonian framework of ego strengths and virtues is highlighted. The dynamic role of family stories is also featured here, with work exploring the links between family process, intergenerational attachment, and storytelling. Sociocultural theories that emphasize how such development is situated in the wider cultural context are also featured in several chapters. This broad lifespan developmental focus serves to integrate the exciting diversity of this work and foster further questions and research in the emerging field of family narrative. The book is intended primarily for researchers and advanced-level students in the fields of developmental and personality psychology, as well as those in family studies and in gerontology. It may also be of interest to those in the helping professions who are concerned with family therapy and family issues, and may--due to its content and illustrative material--have appeal to a wider market of the lay public. The chapters are written in a readily accessible style and the analyses are presented in a fairly non-technical way. Because family stories are charted across the lifespan, it would be a suitable companion book to a more traditional lifespan textbook in certain courses.

The Structure of the Life Course: Standardized? Individualized? Differentiated?
The Structure of the Life Course: Standardized? Individualized? Differentiated?

Author: Ross Macmillan

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2005-07-14

Total Pages: 381

ISBN-13: 0080457193

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Current debates in life course studies increasingly reference theories of individualization, standardization, and differentiation in the structure of the life course. This volume brings together leading scholars from a variety of fields to assess the theoretical underpinnings, the empirical evidence, and the implications of existing arguments. The contributions include comparative-historical work, demographic analysis, and detailed survey research. The topics covered include historical, cross-cultural, and racioethnic variation in the transition to adulthood, the school-to-work transition, educational careers, retirement, activity characteristics over the life span and the life course context of psychological well-being. The various contributions expand our understanding of the contemporary life course and its implications. The authors offer innovative theoretical and methodological approaches that demonstrate the utility of holistic approaches to conceptualizing the life course and understanding its implications for modern society.

Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging
Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging

Author: Danan Gu

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2021-11-03

Total Pages: 5507

ISBN-13: 9783030220082

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This eight-volume encyclopedia brings together a comprehensive collection of work highlighting established research and emerging science in all relevant disciplines in gerontology and population aging. It covers the breadth of the field, gives readers access to all major sub-fields, and illustrates their interconnectedness with other disciplines. With more than 1300 cross-disciplinary contributors—including anthropologists, biologists, economists, psychiatrists, public policy experts, sociologists, and others—the encyclopedia delves deep into key areas of gerontology and population aging such as ageism, biodemography, disablement, longevity, long-term care, and much more. Paying careful attention to empirical research and literature from around the globe, the encyclopedia is of interest to a wide audience that includes researchers, teachers and students, policy makers, (non)governmental agencies, public health practitioners, business planners, and many other individuals and organizations.

Negotiating the Life Course
Negotiating the Life Course

Author: Ann Evans

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-10-23

Total Pages: 236

ISBN-13: 904818911X

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Pathways through the life course have changed considerably in recent decades. Many of our assumptions about leaving home, starting new relationships and having children have been turned upside down. It is now almost as common to have children prior to marriage as afterwards, and certainly much more common to live together before marrying than to marry without first living together. Women are more likely to remain in the labour force after having children and many families struggle with problems of work-family balance at some stage in their lives, particularly when they have young children. But how much has really changed? Is there really more diversity in how individuals transition through these life course stages, or just variations at the margin with most people following a standard work and family life course? This volume makes use of rich longitudinal data from a unique Australian project to examine these issues. Drawing on broader theories of social change and demographic transitions in an international context, each chapter provides a detailed empirical assessment of the ways in which Australian adults negotiate their work and family lives. In doing so, the volume provides important insight into the ways in which recent demographic, social and economic changes both challenge and reproduce gender divisions.