Social Structure and Aging

This volume presents a systematic examination of the impact of social structures on individual behaviors and on their development in adulthood and old age. These papers and responses attempt to improve the reciprocal relationship between changes in social macro- and micro-structures and the process of psychological development in relation to issues of human aging. Using and combining concepts and data from various fields, this research promotes a better understanding of the effects of demographic patterns and social structures on the psychological development of adults.

Edited by Schaie, K. Warner; Schooler, Carmi

Contents: M.W. Riley, Foreword: Why This Book? K.W. Schaie, Introduction: Social Structure and Behavior. R.C. Atchley, Demographic Factors and Adult Psychological Development. G.C. Myers, Discussion of "Demographic Factors and Adult Psychological Development." D.L. Featherman, "What Developments in Adulthood?": A Developmentalists's Response to Atchley's Demographic View. M.P. Lawton, Behavior-Relevant Ecological Factors. K.M. Weiss, Adaptation and the Aging Human. U. Bronfenbrenner, Youthful Designs for Research on Aging: A Response to Lawton's Theoretical Challenge. S.L. Willis, Cohort Differences in Cognitive Aging: A Sample Case. R. Glaser, Knowledge-Derived Competence. T.A. Salthouse, Training-Controlled Social Structure?. C. Schooler, Social Structure Effects and Experimental Situations: Mutual Lessons of Cognitive and Social Science. R.P. Abeles, Social Structure as a Determinant of Environmental Experience. D.P. Keating, Cognitive Socialization Across the Life Span: Comments on Schooler's Chapter. M.E. Lachman, Personality and Aging at the Crossroads: Beyond Stability Versus Change. S.K. Whitbourne, Comments on Lachman's "Personality and Aging at the Crossroads." M.L. Kohn, Comments on Lachman's "Personality and Aging at the Crossroads." A.S. Rossi, A Life-Course Approach to Gender, Aging, and Intergenerational Relations. J.S. House, Social Structure and Interpersonal Relations: A Discussion of Alice Rossi's Chapter. C. Schooler, Afterword.