Becoming and Being Old : Sociological Approaches to Later Life

In this volume contributors examine the assumptions normally made about the elderly and offer differing sociological perspectives on becoming and being old, and on the concept of age itself. Instead of seeing the elderly in terms of needs, they offer alternative analyses in light of class, gender and race. Examining the life-cycle perspective on old age, they show how retirement from the workforce is only one aspect of becoming old, and arguably one which is important for only a minority of the ageing population.