ABSTRACT
The lack of adequate theory in the field of social gerontology has been adversely commented upon on many occasions (Johnson 1978, Phillipson 1982, Fennel et al. 1988) and stems in part from the social policy orientation of much of the interest in the field. However, in thinking through the material for this book, I have become aware that it is as much the inadequacy of existing sociological theory in providing coherent accounts of old age in our society as a lack of interest in theoretical topics by social gerontologists that are responsible for this neglect of theory. Feminists trying to write feminist sociology, or at least produce a non-gendered sociology, and those trying to understand race and ethnicity have had to struggle with the limitations of existing sociological theory. It is not surprising therefore that when similar questions about power, stratification, structure and the social process of age-based inequality are examined, further limitations in social theory are revealed. However, and perhaps of greater importance, when such enquiries are made new insights become possible. Therefore the central focus of this book has been to draw on theoretical discussions in branches of sociology that have not previously been brought together and link the study of inequality, stratification, class, gender, race and ethnicity with the study of elderly people and the life course. This attempt has required a critical examination of the existing approaches to social inequality within sociology, as well as a review of the literature on old age and the life course. Further, it is clear that the study of old age can feed back and provide insights for our understanding of other inequalities.
