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Although philosophers, physicians, and others have long pondered the meanings and experiences of growing older, gerontology did not emerge as a scientific field of inquiry in the United States until the twentieth century. The study of aging borrows from a variety of other disciplines, including medicine, psychology, sociology and anthropology, but its own scientific basis is still developing. Despite dozens of aging-related journals, and a notable increase in state, regional, national and international networks, there are no widely shared techniques or distinctive methods. Theories of aging remain partial and tentative. By tracing intellectual networks and analyzing institutional patterns, Crossing Frontiers shows how old age became a 'problem' worth investigating and how a multidisciplinary orientation took shape. Gerontology is a marginal intellectual enterprise but its very strengths and weaknesses illuminate the politics of specialization and academic turf-fighting in U.S. higher education.
Although philosophers, physicians, and others have long pondered the meanings and experiences of growing older, gerontology did not emerge as a scientific field of inquiry in the United States until the twentieth century. The study of aging borrows from a variety of other disciplines, including medicine, psychology, sociology and anthropology, but its own scientific basis is still developing. Despite dozens of aging-related journals, and a notable increase in state, regional, national and international networks, there are no widely shared techniques or distinctive methods. Theories of aging remain partial and tentative. By tracing intellectual networks and analyzing institutional patterns, Crossing Frontiers shows how old age became a 'problem' worth investigating and how a multidisciplinary orientation took shape. Gerontology is a marginal intellectual enterprise but its very strengths and weaknesses illuminate the politics of specialization and academic turf-fighting in U.S. higher education.
Introduction; Two Precursors; Keywords; OLD AGE BECOMES A 'PROBLEM' WORTH INVESTIGATING SCIENTIFICALLY; 1. Surveying the Frontiers of Aging; 2. Setting Boundaries for Disciplined Discoveries; 3. Establishing Outposts for Multidisciplinary Research on Aging; GERONTOLOGY TAKES SHAPE IN THE ERA OF BIG SCIENCE; 4. Organizing the Gerontological Society to Promote Interdisciplinary Research Amid Disciplinary and Professional Constriction; 5. Risk-taking in the Modern Research University – The Fate of Multidisciplinary Institutes on Aging; 6. The Federal Government as Sponsor, Producer, and Consumer of Research on Aging; 7. Gerontology in the Service of America's Aging Veterans; Conclusion; The Current State of the Field; Reconstructing Gerontology
This is the first book-length study of the history of gerontology. It shows how old age became a 'problem' worth investigating and how a mulitidisciplinary orientation took shape.
"...[a] perceptive, beautifully written and superbly organized history of American gerontology..." London Review of Books "Heavily footnoted, well researched, and scholarly, this book is the first to trace the history of gerentology from its roots in 19th-century physiology to today's highly competitive research centers." Library Journal "Crossing Frontiers is an excellent, thorough, and richly documented history of gerontology." American Journal of Sociology "I recommend Crossing Frontiers as worthwhile reading for anyone interested in gerontology today...any physician interested in the broader issues of aging will benefit from reading this book." David H. Solomon, MD, JAMA "Crossing Fronteirs...presents a cognent history of gerontology as a scientific field; it offers a prescription for the future..." Journal of American History
"...[a] perceptive, beautifully written and superbly organized history of American gerontology..." London Review of Books "Heavily footnoted, well researched, and scholarly, this book is the first to trace the history of gerentology from its roots in 19th-century physiology to today's highly competitive research centers." Library Journal "Crossing Frontiers is an excellent, thorough, and richly documented history of gerontology." American Journal of Sociology "I recommend Crossing Frontiers as worthwhile reading for anyone interested in gerontology today...any physician interested in the broader issues of aging will benefit from reading this book." David H. Solomon, MD, JAMA "Crossing Fronteirs...presents a cognent history of gerontology as a scientific field; it offers a prescription for the future..." Journal of American History
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