Rising life expectancy has led to the growth of the 'Sandwich Generation' - men and women who are caregivers to their children of varying ages as well as for one or both parents whilst still managing their own household and work responsibilities. This book considers both the strains and benefits of this position. Tackling a myriad of issues such as gender, parents and parents-in-law, ethnic differences, residential status, and developing changes in the caregiving relationship such as Alzheimer's or dementia, this book highlights the complexities of the caregiving relationship. Key chapters also address potential benefits including improved relationships, skill set development and generously giving to another. Expert contributors use examples to illustrate the need for organizations to address increases in caregiving among their employees and develop supportive policies and initiatives. They further show that there is a need at the country level to integrate employees, communities, employers, businesses and levels of government to deal with this increasing trend. This timely book will prove an indispensible reference for academics and students interested in the sandwich generation, caregiving and health. Its practical approach will also benefit human resource management professionals, managers dealing with sandwiched employees and health administrators at various levels of government. Contributors include: R. Attieh, S. Austen, R. Burke, L. Calvano, C.E. Greaves, T. Jefferson, N.L. Jimmieson, A.H. Kim, S. LoboPrabhu, N. Mandell, A. Mitra, V. Molinari, A. Ollier-Malterre, R. Ong, S.L. Parker, A.H. Prokos, J. Reid Keene, C. Reinicke, C.W. Rudolph, R. Sharp, P. Ulmanen, S.I. White Means, T. Yamashita, H. Zacher

The subject of midlife has been dominated by the woes of aging--menopause, divorce, hormone replacement therapies, aging parents, and fleeing children. Now a broad-ranging new work by clinical psychologist Linda N. Edelstein, Ph.D., "The Art of Midlife," describes the freedom and authenticity that can be made a cornerstone of the middle years. She describes three healthy and predictable phases. First, women relinquish old ways, untying themselves from the past and mourning the losses of youth and its illusions. By placing less emphasis on the needs of others, women can live more creatively and enjoy the present. The women Dr. Edelstein studied have been able to move to the next step, in which they reconnect to themselves. They regain their authentic voices, simplify life, and allow long buried aspects of themselves to emerge. Finally, women refocus their futures. With courage, they embrace new people, ideas, activities, and work--and pursue adult dreams regardless of external rewards.

This volume advocates an optimistic new conceptual and practical approach to adulthood, aging, and education for individuals with intellectual disability (ID) across the lifespan. The compensation age theory (CAT) at the heart of this book suggests that the adulthood period in populations with ID may be characterized by processes of cognitive development, growth, and neural sprouting, rather than stagnation or even decline. Empirical findings indicate the contribution of chronological age, maturity, and accumulating life experiences to adults' continued cognitive growth and intelligence, as a result of direct mediation, cognitive intervention, and academic learning as well as exposure to indirect learning. Grounded in cumulative evidence for the CAT, the book presents comprehensive analysis of a practical holistic educational intervention model for enhancing adults' Cognition (literacy), Affect (including autonomy), and Behavior (adaptive behavior skills), including operative strategies, mediational parameters, and guidance for change agents in diverse settings. This triple CAB model offers detailed tools for promoting the cognitive improvement and invigoration of adults with ID in during ADL, vocational and leisure activities, at all severity levels ranging from mild and moderate to severe and profound, across different ID etiologies including Down syndrome, and even at advanced ages for adults with ID exhibiting comorbid Alzheimer's.

There has been a widespread fascination with age-dissimilar couples in recent years. This book examines how the romantic relationships of these couples are understood. Based on qualitative research, McKenzie investigates notions of autonomy, relatedness, contradiction, and change in age-dissimilar relationships and romantic love.

The book reveals the common patterns adults experience in their careers, relationships, and development. The authors show how, by gaining an understanding of these patterns in their own lives, adults can find new meaning in their existence, work through problems, and explore opportunities for growth.

Adulthood is taken for granted. It connotes the end of childhood, the resolution to the "storm and stress" period of adolescence. This conception is strongly entrenched in the sociology of youth and the sociology of the life course as well as in the policy arena. At the same time, adulthood itself remains unarticulated; journey's end remains conceptually fixed and theoretically uncontested. Adulthood, then, is both central to the social imagination and neglected as an area of sociological investigation, something that has been noted by sociologists over the last four decades. Going beyond the overwhelmingly psychological literature, this book draws on original qualitative research and theories of social recognition and thus presents a first step towards filling an important gap in our understanding of the meaning of adulthood.

What are the ties that bind the 'good youth citizen' and the youth activist in the twenty-first century? Contemporary young people are encouraged -- through education and other cultural sites -- to 'save the world' via community projects that resemble activism, yet increasingly risk arrest for public acts of dissent. "Citizen Youth: culture, activism, and agency in a neoliberal era "goes to the heart of these contradictions, exploring the dilemmas and cultural dynamics of being young and politically engaged. Through an ethnographic study of young people working on activist causes across the three largest urban centres in one of the wealthiest nations in the world (Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, Canada), this book draws on Bourdieusian cultural sociology, feminist theories of agency, phenomenology, and political theories of the state and neoliberalism to understand what it means to be a certain kind of youth citizen in the twenty-first century. Accessibly written yet theoretically engaged, the book will be of interest to individuals both within academia and in the wider world of social movements and youth engagement.

Numerous studies consider the history of childhood, adolescence and old age, yet the middle aged, consistently the most productive and powerful of age groups have been consistently ignored. In this pioneering study John Benson considers how perceptions and experience of middle age have changed, and how its power-base has diminished, affected by the steady ageing of the population the increasing independence of the yound and growing economic insecurity. This thought-provoking study also illuminates the whole economic, social and cultural history of twentieth-century Britain.

Includes special applications for TA with diverse populations Incorporates case examples and illustrations with test data, sample feedback letter, and call-boxes Guides reader step-by-step through all the stages of TA including the assessor's thinking processes and conceptualizations Includes handouts

This volume aims to describe the similarities and differences in the timing and kind of transition among the post-war cohorts in Austria, Britain, Flanders (Belgium), France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and Spain. Its second aim is to bring together the results of individual-level studies from these ten European countries, analyzing the impact of selected determinants on the transition to adulthood.

This book examines the identities of young adults in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, and Macedonia. With research drawn from a large multidisciplinary project exploring a potential for reconciliation in post-conflict societies, the authors discuss the interplay between ethnic, religious and national identities that have been the source of recent violent conflicts. They focus on people aged 18-30, representing generations that are socialized after the wars, but live in ethnically divided societies burdened with a difficult history. Another aim of the project was to compare majority and minority perspectives within each country, and to provide a unique view on how to reinterpret and build more inclusive social identities. Scholars and organizations interested in areas of social psychology, political science and sociology will find this research of great value.

"Early Adulthood in a Family Context," based on the 18th annual National Symposium on Family Issues, emphasizes the importance of both the family of origin and new and highly variable types of family formation experiences that occur in early adulthood. This volume showcases new theoretical, methodological, and measurement insights in hopes of advancing understanding of the influence of the family of origin on young adults' lives. Both family resources and constraints with respect to economic, social, and human capital are considered.

Is midlife for gay men the start of a slide towards the rejection, exclusion and misery associated with the spectre of the lonely old queen? Whilst exclusion is possible as gay men age, Middle Aged Gay Men, Ageing and Ageism offers a more nuanced view of gay ageing, using sociological tools to advance understanding beyond stereotypes.

This encyclopedia defines and contextualizes the Baby Boomer generation and the wide-reaching contributions of its members throughout modern American history. Comprising some 80 million Americans born between 1946 and 1965, the Baby Boomers have significantly changed every aspect of American history and culture. The members of this generation experienced some of the most tumultuous times in American history; indeed, the Boomers helped create these pivotal eras. From the advent of rock and roll to disco and rap, from the sexual revolution to the arrival of AIDS, and from race riots to the election of a black president, Baby Boomers have seen it all. Through nearly 100 alphabetically arranged entries, this encyclopedia gives later generations insight into the contributions of the Baby Boomers, and it helps members of that generation better contextualize their own experiences. Included entries are written in a clear and engaging manner, covering politics and activism, entertainment, the economy, gender roles, arts, pop culture, sports, religion, drug and alcohol use, and many other subject areas. Contains nearly 100 alphabetically arranged encyclopedia entries Includes a chronology of historic events Provides a bibliography of selected print and electronic sources

"Impatient with popular and academic hand-wringing over 'prolonged adolescence' (or young people's unwillingness to grow up), Blatterer in this overdue sociological treatise on the changing nature of adulthood in Western society counters that such judgments unfairly draw on obsolete norms of adulthood... Blatterer's writing is eloquent...his arguments are well considered, important, and thought-provoking."- Choice

Adulthood is taken for granted. It connotes the end of childhood, the resolution to the "storm and stress" period of adolescence. This conception is strongly entrenched in the sociology of youth and the sociology of the life course as well as in the policy arena. At the same time, adulthood itself remains unarticulated; journey's end remains conceptually fixed and theoretically uncontested. Adulthood, then, is both central to the social imagination and neglected as an area of sociological investigation, something that has been noted by sociologists over the last four decades. Going beyond the overwhelmingly psychological literature, this book draws on original qualitative research and theories of social recognition and thus presents a first step towards filling an important gap in our understanding of the meaning of adulthood.

Harry Blatterer is Lecturer in Sociology at Macquarie University where he teaches introductory sociology, social theory and courses on the life course, generations and intimacy.

Learn how public policies can help families provide the care their elderly relatives need Family and Aging Policy examines how public initiatives to assist the elderly in the United States, Canada, Singapore, Denmark, and Sweden can impact families who provide them with long-term care. For the majority of older people, the aging experience involves their families directly and indirectly, affecting income security, housing, and health care. This unique book addresses the aging issues that matter most to families struggling to deal with the demands of care giving and provides answers on how the public sector can help. As the traditional nuclear family becomes a memory and the notion of extended family disappears, the need for public interventions to help the elderly increases. A significant number of people grow old without families they can depend on. Others have families who want to help, but lack the financial means or the housing needed to provide care. Family and Aging Policy offers options on how families and formal services can share responsibilities, including how families can juggle jobs and care giving, the effects of the Family and Medical Leave Act, consumer-directed service options, community-based care programs, accessory dwelling units and zoning ordinances, and provisions for caregiver support in each of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia. Family and Aging Policy examines: extensive welfare programs in Sweden publicly funded home care programs in Denmark family-oriented social policies in Singapore shared responsibilities of families and formal services in Canada the Administration on Aging's National Family Caregiver Support program in the United States California Caregiver Resource Centers and much more! Family and Aging Policy is an invaluable tool for researchers and policy analysts working in family policy issues and as an essential supplemental text for course work in gerontology, sociology, family relations, and social work.

Discover a vital source of volunteers for your organization By the year 2020, there will be 65 million people aged 65 and over living in the United Statesa new generation of active older adults expecting to use the expertise, experience, and life skills they've gained to make valuable contributions to society in their retirement years. Civic Engagement and the Baby Boomer Generation presents the latest research findings and evaluation studies that help promote a thorough understanding of the programs, policies, and civic opportunities available to people aged 50 and older. This unique book is an essential resource for nonprofit organizations seeking to meet their needs with a generation of volunteers eager to explore new options, work in new capacities, and continue lifelong learning. More than any previous generation, baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) are defying stereotypes about aging while seeking new and meaningful lifestyles. Civic Engagement and the Baby Boomer Generation defines an agenda for future policy, research, and practice to help reverse the well-documented decline in civic engagement in the United States, providing older Americans with opportunities to have an impact in their local, national, and global communities. The book's contributors focus attention on the value of civic engagement in creating vital social capital and social networks. Civic Engagement and the Baby Boomer Generation examines: current issues and trends in civic engagement results from senior corps. examinations expanding youth service concepts lifelong learning institutes the relationship between civic engagement and leadership issues in elder service and volunteerism outcomes of a national agenda setting meeting intergenerational relations and civic engagement Civic Engagement and the Baby Boomer Generation is an important source of information for anyone working with nonprofit, government, and corporate organizations concerned with public policy, community affairs, volunteerism, research, practice, and education.

Discover a vital source of volunteers for your organization By the year 2020, there will be 65 million people aged 65 and over living in the United Statesa new generation of active older adults expecting to use the expertise, experience, and life skills they've gained to make valuable contributions to society in their retirement years. Civic Engagement and the Baby Boomer Generation presents the latest research findings and evaluation studies that help promote a thorough understanding of the programs, policies, and civic opportunities available to people aged 50 and older. This unique book is an essential resource for nonprofit organizations seeking to meet their needs with a generation of volunteers eager to explore new options, work in new capacities, and continue lifelong learning. More than any previous generation, baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) are defying stereotypes about aging while seeking new and meaningful lifestyles. Civic Engagement and the Baby Boomer Generation defines an agenda for future policy, research, and practice to help reverse the well-documented decline in civic engagement in the United States, providing older Americans with opportunities to have an impact in their local, national, and global communities. The book's contributors focus attention on the value of civic engagement in creating vital social capital and social networks. Civic Engagement and the Baby Boomer Generation examines: current issues and trends in civic engagement results from senior corps. examinations expanding youth service concepts lifelong learning institutes the relationship between civic engagement and leadership issues in elder service and volunteerism outcomes of a national agenda setting meeting intergenerational relations and civic engagement Civic Engagement and the Baby Boomer Generation is an important source of information for anyone working with nonprofit, government, and corporate organizations concerned with public policy, community affairs, volunteerism, research, practice, and education.