The main purpose of the book seems to be in exploring the complexities of ageing, the individual identities that accumulate and intersect to influence the way people age, and the way these culminate in later-life divisions and inequalities. It really isn't like any other book I have seen in the sheer depth of exploration as well as the nature of the narrative development. This is a great addition to the field and a companion reader for those new and established in the field alike.
The book provides a good review of ageing as it is understood and how this understanding has developed. A potential drawback could be seen in that it does not acknowledge the impact of cohort and social norms on ageing and how knowledge of previous ageing cohorts could help us see the potential issues facing the current adult population for their ageing trajectories. That said, the book does not set out to give this, nor does it set out to give a non-Western approach to understand ageing in different global contexts. What it does set out to do, it does well and would be a great addition for Masters-level students and above. Most notably, this would be a good addition for faculty developing and delivering courses to help supplement and develop their own subject specialist knowledge. At times, the language can be academic or elaborate for the sake of being so. Perhaps adopting a simpler language framework would make the book more appealing, especially to those for whom English may not be a first/primary language. One other issue that readers may find awkward are the notes. While it is understandable that the authors have used them, it is somewhat cumbersome (especially in the digital format) to find the notes at the end of the chapter and then find your place in the text again. This means that information in the notes may just be overlooked. These items can all be overlooked as reader preference, however, the use of outdated language certainly cased a double take. The term ‘sexual preference’ was used in a couple of places which itself is a redundant, incorrect and offensive term that probably should have been spotted during editorial phases. While this doesn't reflect the wider content of the book, it does cloud the lens through which the rest of the content could be seen. Overall though, the content is accessible and engaging, resulting in a textbook that is easy to digest and hard to put down.
The book opens by exploring ‘Social Divisions and Social Differences’, providing the reader with a good overall introduction to the book, the field and the key terms that are present throughout. Taking a chronological approach to the development and understanding of such terms as ‘intersectionality’ assists the reader in appreciating the framing of the book and the structure of the arguments presented. Some of the statements regarding ageing and intersectionality are reflective of the age of some of the references used and the progression is quite apparent. Intersectionality and ageing has a wealth of information that appears to have been somewhat skirted over in favour of the debates surrounding the nature of intersectionality itself. Some readers may have their thirst quenched while others will be left wanting due to the weighting of the literature reviewed and cursory inclusion of the increasing research on ageing and intersectionality in the last decade.
Launching into ‘Social Class and Inequality in Later Life’, the authors provide a lot of detail surrounding the development and understanding of class, which helps the reader understand the contemporary and historical nature of inequality. The backbone of this section draws from sociological theory that strengthens the narrative of the chapter. Interestingly, the chapter concentrates on exploring the current situation regarding older adults and compares to previous generations but does not look forward prospectively given the same lifespan events and milestones. Retirement is discussed, as are investments and pensions, but it would have been good to see the chapter deal with current workers with the advent of zero-hours contracts, the gig economy and the increase in self-employed workers. Discussion could be around the lack of savings as a percentage of living costs that most adults have today compared to previous generations, not by way of building conflict but instead providing insight to future ageing experiences. Similarly, looking at readiness to retire could also give weight to a discussion about potential issues for future inequalities and class disparities for future older adults. While the core arguments and field developments are clear, the current situation is discussed in little detail. Changing pensions, working in later life, home-ownership, relationship status and savings levels are hot topics for current ageing populations that are, can and will impact inequality in later life. Contributing to this dialogue would have taken an excellent narrative and made it exceptional.
Gender is a huge area to tackle but ‘Ageing and Gender’ provides a concise yet detailed view scoping the development of current academic understanding. There is a substantial focus (quite rightly) on income differences, underscoring the development of this gap as well as the current situation. While gender and sex are mentioned as distinct concepts, further exploration would reflect the current research area and the addition of gender identity would segue nicely into the discussion on masculinity (traits) and the insightful presentation of hegemonic masculinity. The arguments presented develop further into the impacts that children have on women before culminating in social capital and social networks. The section provides a perfect springboard, peppered with key terms, facilitating the reader to expand their understanding through independent research.
The concepts of ‘Ethnicity, Race and Migration in Later Life’ have been articulated in depth, especially in relation to North American disparities and European migration. The areas of cultural distance and bridging/bonding capital are well executed too, especially with regard to cultural assimilation and identity maintenance. The complexity of the content here requires a lot of the reader but it builds on the component presented earlier in the book, meshing well to create a coherent narrative.
A topic garnering much research in recent years is ‘Disability in Later Life’, introduced here as a seamless progression from previous minority group discussions. This gives a social context to the acceptability of disability and the way societal norms have changed. Of specific note is the discussion about frailty, ageing and ageing well through the development of disability. The distinct sections about ageing with and ageing into disability are great as they highlight very real differences. In providing this information, and introducing the notion of visible disability, the reader is guided into self-exploration for hidden disability and the impact that this has for older persons.
The complexities and intricacies of ‘Identity and Intersectionality’ have been presented very well. While most people will agree with one perspective or another, the authors do a good job in presenting both as a balanced perspective with some good examples peppered throughout. This helps the reader progress to ‘Diversity, Difference and Division in Later Life’, a well-executed mechanism to draw the chapters together. The multifaceted arguments unpicked through the book have been explored further without simply repeating previously given information. The examples make this more of an accessible chapter funnelling the previous chapters into a natural conclusion, cementing the readers understanding of ‘Social Divisions & Later Life’.
