As the 21st century unfolds, the study of aging will increase in importance. Canada’s population will have more older people than ever before. These people will make new demands on Canada’s healthcare, retirement income, and housing resources. They will also bring new interests, skills, and approaches to later life. People young and old will need to understand the realities of aging in this new era. This text presents a full picture of aging—problems and all. But it also emphasizes the opportunities and advantages of later life to illustrate its underlying theme: successful aging. This theme makes more sense today than ever before. Longer life and more years of activity and good health have changed the landscape of old age. Late old age still brings physical decline. But better health and nutrition at every stage of life, along with advances in medicine, extend the active years of middle age. The sayings “60 is the new 40” and “70 is the new 50” may have begun as clever remarks, but they describe the reality of aging today for more and more people. Above advances in health care, nutrition, and medicine, technological change, a globalized economy, unstable work careers, demographic change, convergence of male and female career opportunities—all call for new models of aging to fit new patterns of social experience.

Many changes have taken place in Canadian gerontology. New researchers have entered the field of aging. The government has released many reports that summarize studies of health, housing, and pension policies. And consortia of researchers and research centres have published the results of their studies. This body of knowledge will shape social policy in the future. We have used these sources and many others, including academic journals, books, and online reports to update this text to engage students and provide a deeper understanding of how the topic relates to their lives and society.

Part One: Gerontology Today
Chapter 1: Aging Today
Chapter 2: Theories and Methods

Part Two: Social Change
Chapter 3: Aging in Canada and the World Today
Chapter 4: Aging and Ethnicity

Part Three: Maturational Change
Chapter 5: Personal Health and Illness
Chapter 6: The Psychology of Aging

Part Four: Institutional Change
Chapter 7: Healthcare
Chapter 8: Finances and Economics
Chapter 9: Retirement and Work
Chapter 10: Leisure, Recreation, and Service
Chapter 11: Housing and Transportation

Part Five: The Experience of Aging
Chapter 12: Family Life
Chapter 13: Social Support
Chapter 14: Dying, Death, and Bereavement

As the 21st century unfolds, the study of aging will increase in importance. Canada’s population will have more older people than ever before. These people will make new demands on Canada’s healthcare, retirement income, and housing resources. They will also bring new interests, skills, and approaches to later life. People young and old will need to understand the realities of aging in this new era. This text presents a full picture of aging—problems and all. But it also emphasizes the opportunities and advantages of later life to illustrate its underlying theme: successful aging. This theme makes more sense today than ever before. Longer life and more years of activity and good health have changed the landscape of old age. Late old age still brings physical decline. But better health and nutrition at every stage of life, along with advances in medicine, extend the active years of middle age. The sayings “60 is the new 40” and “70 is the new 50” may have begun as clever remarks, but they describe the reality of aging today for more and more people. Above advances in health care, nutrition, and medicine, technological change, a globalized economy, unstable work careers, demographic change, convergence of male and female career opportunities—all call for new models of aging to fit new patterns of social experience. Many changes have taken place in Canadian gerontology. New researchers have entered the field of aging. The government has released many reports that summarize studies of health, housing, and pension policies. And consortia of researchers and research centres have published the results of their studies. This body of knowledge will shape social policy in the future. We have used these sources and many others, including academic journals, books, and online reports to update this text to engage students and provide a deeper understanding of how the topic relates to their lives and society. Each chapter begins with Learning Objectives that lay out the chapter contents and prompt students to read the chapter with a critical eye. New Time to Review questions help students to assess their learning as they progress through the chapter contents. Chapter exhibits present charts, graphs, and examples to further illustrate points in the text. These exhibits engage students in questions that probe their understanding. Many exhibits ask students to reflect on their personal views on a topic. The projected issues of the past exist as real challenges today. Canada has become an older society. Income inequality, early retirement, community-based healthcare, the importance of active living, and caregiver burden affect more people than ever before. The first Baby Boomers have begun to enter old age. This generation as it ages will make new demands on society and this will call for new responses. The eighth edition of Aging and Society: Canadian Perspectives points to some of the emerging issues in aging and to the challenges that lie ahead. CourseMate provides instructors with all of the reporting tools needed to track student engagement, while students can access an interactive e-book and study tools in a dynamic, online learning environment.