ABSTRACT
Old people, like all human beings, are part of a larger world which influences their lives. Policies, services, and programs created by government are one dimension of that world. In addition, most people move through life as members of various groups (e.g., political, occupational, economic, ethnic, and religious) and membership in such groups can affect the aging process. Thus, a number of works examine the relationships that exist between the old person and various social institutions. Much of the analysis of this type considers older people as a total population--an aggregate--although there is increasing insistence by many that individual and subgroup differences must be recognized.
