Abstract

This book is ideal for students in the health and human service professions. It focuses on the field of aging and it examines ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation, areas that are recognized by gerontologists as critical in understanding the social and behavioral factors that influence the life course of individuals as they age. The book addresses five major ethnic groups: Asian American, African American, Arab American, Hispanic/Latino American, and Native American, and it provides a broad knowledge base of the issues, needs, concerns, and strengths of these rapidly growing older populations. This book was written by scholars from different universities, of different ages, different ethnicities, and of different disciplines, such as the fields of sociology, social work, social welfare, anthropology, criminology, and nursing.