Book presents landscape of aging in the U.S.

Sociologists’ two-volume book, Gerontology: Changes, Challenges, and Solutions, looks at the full spectrum of aging issues in the U.S.

As the American population ages, new challenges and issues arise that will have far-reaching effects for our nation’s future. Professor Madonna Harrington Meyer and PhD candidate Elizabeth A. Daniele cover the broad range of topics related to aging in their new edited book, Gerontology: Changes, Challenges, and Solutions. The book, which Harrington Meyer and Daniele edited, compiles articles by over 40 gerontology experts that explore the significance of our aging population. Covering a broad range of topics such as veterans’ health, ageism in our society, and impacts of the social welfare system on the elderly, the two-volume book provides a bird's-eye view of the field of gerontology to guide professionals, policymakers, and academics in their work.

The book comes at a time when U.S. demographics are shifting. Currently, 13 percent of the American population is over the age of 65, but that number will rise to 20 percent by 2030. Looking forward, this will have significant effects on institutions and families and how they navigate growing older. Working with experts in these fields, including several Syracuse University scholars, the editors compiled perspectives from various fields, including health, education, and government in the two-volume set. The first volume focuses on the varying socioeconomic factors — such as class, race, and gender — that are associated with well-being in later years. The second volume centers on the origins and impacts of the growing inequalities in health. This wide perspective allows Gerontology to present a current and comprehensive angle on the vast topic of an aging society.

Harrington Meyer is professor and chair of the sociology department at Maxwell. She is a senior faculty associate at the Aging Studies Institute and a senior research affiliate at the Center for Policy Research. Her research spans the topics of aging, gender, and policy.  Her excellence in teaching has earned her Syracuse’s Meredith Professorship, the highest teaching award offered by the University. Daniele is a current PhD candidate and University Fellow of sociology at Maxwell. Her research interests include higher education and immigration. She is a graduate student with the Aging Studies Institute at SU. 04/27/16