Aging is a fact of life. We see our parents and grandparents go through it. We even see ourselves go through it. As we get older, we enter a distinct stage of life, complete with its own biological issues and psychological and social ones too. Yet most books on social aging ignore the psychological and biological aspects of aging that make the social issues so important. This book provides a complete look at aging so that we can better understand the older stage of life for both ourselves and those around us. This book presents a multidisciplinary perspective on social aging. It takes the approach of the older person in context, and how age-related changes in the biological, functional, and psychological domains can influence the older person's interactions with his/her social and physical environment. Unique features include an original approach, a multidisciplinary perspective, a framework based on research findings, and attention to differences by age, gender, ethnic minority status, sexual orientation, and socio-economic class. Social workers, psychologists, gerontology professionals, and professors.