Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the dominant theoretical approaches to the study of aging in the United States are examined, with particular attention to the reasons for their centrality in American gerontological thought. It presents an alternative to the dominant paradigms in gerontological theory and research by virtue of their explicit focus on the structural conditions relevant to aging and to the development of social policies for this population segment. The book explores the political economy of aging in America with particular attention to the significance of the power structure and the creation, growth, and subsequent “crisis” of the welfare state. It also examines some of the specific social constructions of reality in the 1980’s that have helped shape recent public policy for the aged.