Sociology of Aging and Death

This book presents a critical analysis and examination of the major theories and social issues in the social construction of aging and death. It is concerned with the impact of death and places how our experiences of death are transformed by the roles that truth and discourse about aging play in everyday life. A major element of the book is an examination of the way in which groups and individuals employ specific representations of mortality in order to construct meaning and purpose for life and death. To accentuate this, the book provides an investigation into the social construction of death practices across time and space. Special attention is given to the notion of death as a socially accomplished phenomenon grounded in a unique sociological introduction to the meaning of death throughout history to the present. The purpose of this book is to critically inform debates concerning the abstract and empirical features of death examined through the lens of sociological perspectives.This book explores the emergent biomedical dominance relating to ageing and death. An alternative is advocated which re-interprets ageing for Graduate schools. This innovative book explores the concept, history and theory of aging and its relationship to death. Traditionally, many books have focused on older people dying of 'natural causes', a biomedical explanatory framework. This book looks at alternative social theories and experiences with aging and relate to death in different countries, victims, crime, imprisonment and institutional care. Are these deaths avoidable? If so, what are the solutions the book addresses. This is one of the first books that re-interprets aging and its relationship of examples of death. It will be of essential reading for graduate students and researchers in understanding these different examples of aging and death across the globe.

Jason L. Powell PhD, FRSA, AoU, FInstAM, FCMI, CSBP is Professor and Provost at Crescent College Birmingham. He is an elected Academician of The Academy of Urbanism, and Companion of the Society of Bereavement Practitioners (7 ever in history).

Dr. Powell has interests in interdisciplinary research focusing on ageing, Foucault and social policy. He has held many research and knowledge exchange grants in the UK, EU and Asia and disseminated his research globally with many publications including 70 academic books and top ranked refereed journal articles, ie, The Journal of Applied Gerontology; Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law; The Canadian Journal of Sociology; and The Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences. 

Professor Powell is Editor-in-Chief of Illness, Crisis & Loss (SAGE).