Abstract
Population aging, in conjunction with social and cultural transformations of the life course, has profound implications for
social systems—from large-scale structures to micro-level processes. However, much of sociology remains fairly quiet on issues
of age and aging, including the subfield of social psychology that could illuminate the impact of these broader social forces
on individual lives. This study examines the scope of research on age, aging, and the life course in the leading social psychological
journal in sociology (Social Psychology Quarterly) and compares it with coverage in the primary social psychology journal in psychology (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology) and two sociology journals (American Sociological Review and Journal of Health and Social Behavior). An analysis of articles published between 1977 and 2006 shows that approximately 7 percent in Social Psychology Quarterly or Journal of Personality and Social Psychology seriously considered age. In contrast, 11 % of articles in American Sociological Review and 25 % in Journal of Health and Social Behavior did so. Across the journals, examinations of age increased over time. However, studies reflect a limited range of methodological
and theoretical approaches with few employing qualitative methods or a symbolic interactionist perspective. We discuss several
under-explored sites for research on age, aging, and the life course that would enrich social psychological and sociological
scholarship more broadly.
social systems—from large-scale structures to micro-level processes. However, much of sociology remains fairly quiet on issues
of age and aging, including the subfield of social psychology that could illuminate the impact of these broader social forces
on individual lives. This study examines the scope of research on age, aging, and the life course in the leading social psychological
journal in sociology (Social Psychology Quarterly) and compares it with coverage in the primary social psychology journal in psychology (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology) and two sociology journals (American Sociological Review and Journal of Health and Social Behavior). An analysis of articles published between 1977 and 2006 shows that approximately 7 percent in Social Psychology Quarterly or Journal of Personality and Social Psychology seriously considered age. In contrast, 11 % of articles in American Sociological Review and 25 % in Journal of Health and Social Behavior did so. Across the journals, examinations of age increased over time. However, studies reflect a limited range of methodological
and theoretical approaches with few employing qualitative methods or a symbolic interactionist perspective. We discuss several
under-explored sites for research on age, aging, and the life course that would enrich social psychological and sociological
scholarship more broadly.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-20
- DOI 10.1007/s12108-012-9157-2
- Authors
- Anne E. Barrett, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
- Rebecca Redmond, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
- Carmen von Rohr, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
- Journal The American Sociologist
- Online ISSN 1936-4784
- Print ISSN 0003-1232