Social Divisions and Later Life: Difference, Diversity and Inequality

Description

Combining theoretical explanation with empirical data for a clear and balanced sociological analysis, this is a crucial introduction for students taking social inequalities and diversity modules. Revised, restructured and updated to reflect the latest data and debates, this new edition of the widely-used, classic textbook offers students an accessible account of the major social divisions that structure social life. Written by internationally known sociologists and experts, the book addresses a wide range of social divisions and inequalities in novel ways, with added chapters on education and age. Providing a framework for understand contemporary social inequalities and diversities and how they interrelate, this clearly written volume presents a structured and critical guide to a core field that cuts across disciplines.

Chris Gilleard is Visiting Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Social & Policy Sciences at the University of Bath and the Division of Psychiatry at University College London. He has published in the areas of psychology, medicine, history and sociology as they relate to ageing and old age. He is also a fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. Paul Higgs is Professor of the Sociology of Ageing at University College London. He has published widely on the changing nature of later life and is a co-editor of the journal 'Social Theory and Health'. Paul is also a fellow of both the Academy of Social Sciences and the Gerontological Society of America.

"How do social divisions and differences determine the experience of ageing? Higgs and Gilleard's unique perspective and intellectual rigour challenge preconceptions of how the social location of later life is constituted." Kevin McKee, Dalarna University "Health and economic disparities among older adults are a critically important concern. This rich, multidisciplinary analysis provides an excellent overview of late-life inequalities and policy solutions for mitigating these inequities." Deborah Carr, Boston University