Men Still at Work explores the reasons why many men are continuing to work well beyond the traditional retirement age. In today’s challenging economy, they are the second-fastest growing group of workers (just behind older women). Filled with profiles of older working men, as well as dynamic interview quotes, Men Still at Work explores thorny issues such as masculinity and the “need to provide,” as well as economic issues, job satisfaction, and more.

The fastest growing segment of the workforce is women age sixty-five and older. Women Still at Work draws on national survey data and in-depth interviews to show the many reasons why women are working well past the traditional retirement age. The book is filled with profiles of real working women, with a focus on women in the professional workforce.

What is it like to be an isolated old widow, living alone on the bare old-age pension? In the 1960s, the question had become a standard refrain. Originally published in 1966, this was the first full-length study by a sociologist of isolation in old age. Although the majority of old people were in no sense a problem group at the time, a substantial minority of the elderly were ‘alone’ in one or more ways. About 1.3 million people aged sixty-five and over in Britain lived alone; a large number admitted to feeling lonely, at least sometime. About a million were actually socially isolated in terms of low level and frequency of social contact. Mr Tunstall also uses a fourth category of aloneness – namely anomie (as developed by Durkheim, Merton, and Srole). This report uses careful and statistical analysis of the four types of aloneness and of specially affected groups such as the single, the recently widowed, and the housebound. But it also includes details of interviews with ten highly individual old people from suburban Harrow, booming Northampton, industrial revolution Oldham, and rural South Norfolk. The book contains a discussion of the problem of personality in isolation, and a commentary on the inadequacies of social theory about old age. Finally, the concluding chapter suggests a wide variety of policy measures which might help to alleviate social isolation in old age.

Processes of Aging: Social and Psychological Perspectives is based on a monumental series of studies on the psychological and social aspects of aging in relation to mental health. This effort gives scientists from North America and Europe an opportunity to explore the concepts, methodological problems, and conclusions of their researches in the rapidly growing field of gerontology. Much work has been done in an attempt to present this material in sequential and systematic fashion. Original work of sixty-six research workers from twelve countries is represented in this two-volume set. They offer an inventory of principal fields of gerontological research, in advanced countries. Human aging, in its many ramifications, is becoming one of the major areas of research interest among an increasing number of students in the biological, behavioral, and social sciences. Although the phenomena of aging were largely overlooked as subject matter for research during the early stages in the development of all basic sciences, it was inevitable that students would eventually become curious about the final processes of maturation. Events of recent years have hastened the need for social action on behalf of older people and, consequently, the need for scientific knowledge about their characteristics, circumstances, and requirements. Processes of Aging: Social and Psychological Perspectives will be of interest to research workers, teachers, and advanced students concerned with the psychological, psychiatric, psychosocial, and socioeconomic aspects of aging. Many of the theoretical and analytical discussions and the specific studies offer guidance for top-level planners and policy administrators in public agencies and voluntary organizations. This volume is highly sensitive to older people as such: how they feel about themselves and the world, and in the way they behave in relation to others. It is must reading in the health and welfare of aging.

"Robert and Helen Lynd's Middletown set the format in sociological theory and practice for hundreds of studies in the decades following its publication in 1929. Old People in Three Industrial Societies may well set similar standards for studies in its fi eld for many years to come. In addition to achieving a signifi cant breakthrough in the progress of socio logical research techniques, the book offers a monumental cross-cultural exposition of the health, family relationships, and social and economic status of the aged in three countries-the United States, Britain, and Denmark."--Provided by publisher.

This book offers a concise, readable, research-grounded synthesis of the special concerns mental health and other helping professionals need to address when working with men today, and explains a wealth of effective gender-specific approaches to assessment and intervention that result in more successful outcomes for male clients. Many more women than men seek counseling and therapy, and to some extent standard services have evolved in response to female styles of communicating and problem-solving. Practitioners frequently feel frustrated and baffled by their male clients because they seem unresponsive to treatment approaches that work so well for women. But many men benefit from therapy when practitioners understand male socialization and the ways men communicate and problem-solve. Too many men today are doing badly and are in real need of help. Almost half of America's male children grow up in single parent homes headed by mothers, where they seldom have male mentors or role models. Fewer men than women attend or graduate from college, and increasing levels of binge drinking and date rape on campuses paint a discouraging picture of men on campus. Male violence continues to be a serious problem in many American communities, with male youth violence continuing at epidemic levels. Men die younger than women overall and in much higher proportions from suicide, homicide, and cirrhosis of the liver.