Handbook of Communication and Aging Research

This handbook assembles papers from the field of communication and aging. Simultaneous growth in the discipline of communication and in the population of elderly individuals across the world has produced an explosion of research investigating various aspects of communication and aging. This is evidenced by the creation of specific divisions of the Speech Communication Association dedicated to providing an outlet for researchers investigating the aging process; conferences dedicated to addressing issues of language and aging; new journals dedicated to exploring communication and aging; and numerous special issues of well established journals edited by communication and aging scholars. Traditional gerontology - which for the most part has been heavily influenced by theories in mainstream biology, psychology, sociology, social work and medicine - has focused on demography, personality, health, attitudes and housing issues. Social gerontology is new, prolific and innovative, but still heavily reliant upon traditional theories and methodological approaches. This handbook seeks to explain the aging process by focusing upon the "social imagery" of aging and the way in which aging is socially constituted and constructed. The editors consider communication not as an adjunct to the aging process but as the major way in which aging can be understood. This volume's main purpose is to synthesize and analyze research concentrating on communication and aging which has been published in international outlets over two decades. These authors review and analyze the current literature with the purpose of informing readers about future trends in both theoretical development as well as the practical results of communication and aging research.