Social Gerontology

Author: Wu Cangping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-10-01
Features: The severe and increasing trend of social aging has deeply impacted various aspects of social life, raising concerns about the social security and basic rights of the elderly. Social Gerontology, a specialized book edited by Professor Wu Cangping, the President of the China Gerontological Society, addresses these issues. It systematically reveals the problems of aging and is an invaluable theoretical work. This book, dedicated to readers, was finally completed during the "1999 International Year of Older Persons." It represents the results of years of joint research on social gerontology by me and three doctoral students I supervised—Associate Professor Du Peng, Associate Professor Yao Yuan, and Dr. Jiang Xiangqun. Reflecting on the long journey of writing this book, I deeply feel that academic pursuits are not easy. It requires perseverance, tranquility, and dedication. Therefore, I am grateful to the three doctoral students for their support of this work and commend their unwavering pursuit of gerontological science. At the same time, I believe that excellent research is always the fruit of collective effort. As the saying goes, "Many hands make light work." Hence, I would like to specially thank Professor Su Ping and Teacher Chen Jie. Their chapters, "Human Lifespan and Physiological Aging" and "Individual Psychological Aging," with their clear thinking and outstanding writing, not only summarize the latest research findings but also enhance the book's quality, making its structure more complete.
This book is edited by Professor Wu Cangping, the President of the China Gerontological Society. It systematically and comprehensively introduces and discusses the research objects, disciplinary nature, and research methods of social gerontology. It explains the fundamental theories of gerontology from perspectives such as individual aging, population aging, the basic rights of the elderly, and the impact of population aging on social, political, economic, and cultural aspects. The book also proposes basic strategies to address the challenges of population aging. Grounded in the realities of China, the book is self-contained, accessible, and suitable as a textbook for universities and colleges.