ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides a thorough exegesis of the literature on "generation" and outlines the conceptual confusion emanating from multiple usages of the term that refer both to descent relationships and to age groupings. It focuses on the general notion of aging within an age-stratified society and reviews age systems as systems of social inequality. The book discusses investigates the role of social structure in influencing the timing and sequencing of age-graded transitions through which American males move from youth to adulthood. It shows how aging can be affected by longterm changes in the economy, the spiritual and intellectual climate of society, and the family. The book illustrates how the changing society is composed of people who are aging and who are not only shaped by, but are also continually shaping, social institutions, values, and technologies.
