Qualitative Gerontology

The authors provide a contemporary perspective on the status of qualitative research in gerontology. The second edition examines recent trends in the application of qualitative methodologies and the emergence of new qualitative techniques such as focus groups, studies of personal histories, and the use of photography. Chapters include discussions of critical and feminist perspectives, practice issues, ethical issues, and the contribution of qualitative research to the progress of science.

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Fourteen chapters reflect the current status of qualitative research in gerontology. The collection examines recent developments and ongoing trends in the application of qualitative methodologies and the emergence of new techniques, including the use of focus groups, studies of personal histories, and photographic approaches. Critical and feminist perspectives, practical issues, ethical questions, and the contribution of qualitative research to scientific progress are all addressed. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Graham D. Rowles, PhD, is Professor of Gerontology and Director of the Graduate Center of Gerontology at the University of Kentucky. He is a graduate of Bristol University (England) and has a PhD from Clark University (Massachusetts). His research focuses on the experience of aging in different environmental contexts. A central theme of this work is exploration, employing qualitative methodologies, of the changing relationship between elderly people and their environment with advancing age, and the implications of this transition for health and well-being. He has conducted in-depth ethnographic research with elderly populations in urban (inner city), rural (Appalachian), and long-term care environments. His publications include Home and Identity in Late Life: International Perspectives , co-edited with Habib Chaudhury (Springer Publishing, 2005), several other co-edited volumes on aspects of aging and the environment, and more than 50 book chapters and articles. Dr. Rowles is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education, serves on the editorial board of the Journals of Gerontology (Social Sciences) and is president of the Southern Gerontological Society.

Nancy E. Schoenberg, PhD, received a PhD from the University of Florida in Medical Anthropology. She is the Marion Pearsall Endowed Associate Professor in the College of Medicine, Department of Behavioral Science, Anthropology, and Internal Medicine at the University of Kentucky. She is also an Associate with the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, the Department of Communication, and the Center for Health Services Management and Research.