ABSTRACT
A striking observation that arises as one looks back at the current volume is that contemporary thinking in gerontology draws heavily on the ideas and conceptual frameworks generated from within neighboring disciplines. This raises a key question for gerontology as it enters the twenty-first century. An implication of thinking about the world of adult aging in a particular way is that, this itself begins to create a reality. In public policy, for example, whether it is believed that old age is a period of inevitable decline, a period of inexhaustible social productivity, or of personal spiritual rebirth will lead to diverse public spending plans and the promotion of different social norms. A key issue emerging from the contributions to this book is that the world is becoming a much more uncertain place in which to grow old. Pressures arising from globalization, increased inequality, competing definitions of identity and successful aging are but a few of the contributory factors.
