| Lives Through the Years: Styles of Life and Successful Aging Contributor(s): Wirths, Claudine G. (Author), Williams, Richard A. (Author) |
|
 |
ISBN: 0202309010 ISBN-13: 9780202309019 Publisher: Routledge OUR PRICE: $56.04 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: December 2006 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Family & Relationships | Life Stages - Later Years - Biography & Autobiography |
| Dewey: 155.67 |
| LCCN: 2006045535 |
| Physical Information: 0.82" H x 6.06" W x 9.04" (1.14 lbs) 314 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Growing old - what is it like? What are the main problems of the aging? Lack of fulfillment in their work and life? Loneliness? Anxiety about sickness and disability? Fear of death? This well-documented, theoretically systematic, and vivid account of the process of aging provides highly enlightening answers and dispels once and for all many of the myths surrounding the close to 20 million Americans who are over sixty-five. Building upon the results of extensive interviews, the authors have established the existence of six styles and have concluded that a successful transition to old age can be achieved through any of them. They have also developed a definition of success, which has practical implications, since it deals with the extent to which an individual contributes or is a burden to the lives of those around him. The combined analysis of style and success results in a better understanding of individual differences in aging. The reader comes to know and understand the subjects as if he had worked with them in person. The wealth of detail the case histories contain permits scholars and students to judge for themselves the validity of the authors' findings. Derived from this unusually rich body of material, the authors' conclusions and recommendations are invaluable to all concerned with the study, the treatment, and the counseling of the aged. "Lives Through the Years" is a pioneering volume of social inquiry and interpretation, which marks a major scientific advance in its field, opens up new horizons for fruitful research, and offers a stimulating and authoritative portrayal of one of the most important problems of our society. |
Contributor Bio(s): Parsons, Talcott: - Talcott Parsons (1902-1979) was one of most influential and controversial theorists of twentieth-century sociology. He served on the faculty of Harvard University for forty-five years. He developed the concept of action theory, which was based on voluntarism and analytical realism. He is also responsible for introducing Max Weber's work to America. Some of his many works include The Structure of Social Action, The System of Modern Societies, and Politics and Social Structure. |
