Older Men's Lives

by Edward H. Thompson

• ISBN13: 9780803950801
• ISBN10: 0803950802
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1994-06-08
• Publisher: Sage Publications

Summary

The first comprehensive exploration on the subject of older men, Older Men's Lives offers a multidisciplinary portrait of men and their concerns in later life. Using both a life-course and gendered perspective, the contributors to this collection of original articles point out that the image and self-image of men are continuously reconstructed over the life cycle. They examine older men's position in society and the changes wrought in their status and roles over time. Their relationship with their spouses, children, grandchildren, and friends are also explored, as are policy implications of a gendered, life-cycle view of masculinity. This volume also discusses faith development in older men, masculinity identity from work to retirement, older men's sexuality, and older men's friendship patterns. Older Men's Lives will be of interest to professionals and students interested in gender, men's studies, gerontology, and sociology. "This book begins to remedy the lack of information and provides data and research on aging men. . . .The strength of this book is the specificity of its focus. By focusing solely on male concerns the book is able to identify issues in the male aging process and discuss them on their own terms rather than simply as a contrast to females." --Clinical Gerontologist

Table of Contents

PART ONE: THE SOCIAL MEANING OF AGE AND GENDER - Edward H Thompson, Jr

Older Men as Men in Contemporary Society

PART TWO: BECOMING AN OLDER MAN: DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVES - George E Vaillant

`Successful Aging' and Psychological Well-Being

Evidence from a Forty-Five Year Study - Kenneth Solomon and Peggy A Szwabo

The Work Oriented Culture

Success and Power in Elderly Men - David L Gutmann and Margaret Hellie Huyck

Development and Pathology in Post-Parental Men

A Community Study - Barbara Pittard Payne

Faith Development of Older Men - Theodore J Gradman

Masculinity Identity from Work to Retirement

PART THREE: THE SOCIAL WORLDS OF OLDER MEN - William Marsiglo and Richard A Greer

A Gender Analysis of Older Men's Sexuality

Social, Psychological, and Biological Dimensions - Patricia M Keith

A Typology of Orientations Toward Household and Marital Roles of Older Men and Women - Rebecca G Adams

Older Men's Friendship Patterns - Sarah Matthews

Men's Ties to Siblings in Old Age

Contributing Factors to Availability and Quality - Jeanne L Thomas

Old Men as Fathers and Grandfathers - Leonard Kaye and Jeffery Applegate

Older Men and the Family Caregiving Orientation

PART FOUR: GENDER AND AGE POLICY - Judith Gonyea

Making Gender Visible in Public Policy