Skip to main content

The Sociology of Aging and the Life Course Comes of Age

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Handbook of Sociology of Aging

Part of the book series: Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research ((HSSR))

  • 5848 Accesses

Abstract

As I thought about this chapter and the occasion it presented to reflect on my years as a sociologist and social gerontologist, two trends significant to my career repeatedly surfaced. The first is the growing legitimization of aging as a topic of investigation, and the second is the development of a research infrastructure supporting the study of aging. I make no claim that these two represent the most significant developments. I single them out only because of their personal importance and because of my belief that they represent critical indicators of how the field of aging has evolved over the past 4 decades. In what follows, I will place these trends in an autobiographical context.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 109.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Bell, William G. 1986 “Endowed Positions in Gerontology and Geriatrics in Higher Education: Results from a Preliminary Survey.” Educational Gerontology 12:507–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cutler, Stephen J. 1978 “Instructional Uses of the General Social Surveys.” Contemporary Sociology 7:541–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • —  —  —. 1977 “Aging and Voluntary Association Participation.” Journal of Gerontology 32:470–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cutler, Stephen J. and Robert L. Kaufman. 1975. “Cohort Changes in Political Attitudes: Tolerance of Ideological Nonconformity.” Public Opinion Quarterly 34:69–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cutler, Stephen J., Sally Ann Lentz, Michael J. Muha, and Robert N. Riter. 1980 “Aging and Conservatism: Cohort Changes in Attitudes about Legalized Abortions.” Journal of Gerontology 35:115–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Danigelis, Nicholas L., Melissa Hardy, and Stephen J. Cutler. 2007 “Population Aging, Intracohort Aging, and Sociopolitical Attitudes.” American Sociological Review 72:812–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stephen J. Cutler .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Cutler, S.J. (2011). The Sociology of Aging and the Life Course Comes of Age. In: Settersten, R., Angel, J. (eds) Handbook of Sociology of Aging. Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7374-0_39

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics