Handbook of Theories of Aging

by Vern L. Bengtson (Editor), Daphna Gans PhD (Editor), Norella Putney PhD (Editor)

The field of gerontology has often been criticized for being data-rich but theory-poor. The editors of this book address this issue by stressing the importance of theory in gerontology. While the previous edition focused on multidisciplinary approaches to aging theory, this new edition provides cross-disciplinary, integrative explanations of aging theory: The contributors of this text have reached beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries to partner with researchers in adjacent fields in studying aging and age-related phenomena.

This edition of the Handbook consists of 39 chapters written by 67 internationally recognized experts in the field of aging. It is organized in seven sections, reflecting the major theoretical developments in gerontology over the past 10 years.
Special Features:


Comprehensive coverage of aging theory, focusing on the biological, psychological, and social aspects of aging
A section dedicated to discussing how aging theory informs public policy
A concluding chapter summarizing the major themes of aging, and offering predictions about the future of theory development
Required reading for graduate students and post doctoral fellows, this textbook represents the current status of theoretical development in the study of aging

Genres: Nonfiction

816 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1998

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

It isn't necessarily fair to apply a star rating to a textbook, especially a handbook with so many contributors. However, for my personal Goodreads account I want to document that I read every grueling page of this nearly 800 page text. As with any handbook, some of the chapters are better written than others. From an editing perspective, I was surprised by the choice to include a handful of chapters that were highly critical of research represented in other chapters within the book, but that may just be my inexperience with academia. There is no way to glide through a graduate level theory course. If you are assigned this text be prepared to spend significant time reading and understanding every chapter.