1st Edition
Geographies of Ageing Social Processes and the Spatial Unevenness of Population Ageing
Population ageing is projected to affect all countries across the world in coming decades. The current rate of population ageing is unprecedented in human history with population projections indicating that this will be an enduring trend. Moreover, population ageing is spatially pervasive, affecting every man, woman and child. This has considerable implications for policy responding to the economic, social and healthcare outcomes of population ageing. The potential economic implications have been likened to those of the 2008 global financial crisis. This book examines the patterns and causes of uneven population ageing. It identifies those countries and localities most likely to experience population ageing and the reasons for this. Attention is also given to the role that youth migration, labour force migration, retirement migration and ageing in place have in influencing the spatial concentrations of older people. The book brings together a range of diverse international case studies to illustrate the importance of understanding the causes of population ageing. Case studies include a review of ageing in Florida's (USA) labour force, an investigation into the housing arrangements for the elderly in Northern Ireland and an assessment of the environmental stewardship activities of Grey Nomads on Western Australia's remote north coast.
Biography
Dr Amanda Davies, Curtin University, Australia & Dr. Amity James, University of Queensland, Australia
'... this book provides a comprehensive overview of the spatial nature of population aging, the determinants of the "unevenness" of population aging, and the diverse implications of the spatial nature of population aging.' Canadian Studies in Population Journal 'Informed by contemporary developments in population geography and richly illustrated through case studies, Davies and James develop a persuasive critique of conventional analyses that offer simplistic and often misleading explanations regarding the causes, and especially the consequences, of spatial unevenness in population ageing.' Alun Joseph, University of Guelph, Canada 'At last a text which covers geographical aspects of ageing. This timely book examines the patterns, causes and implications at a variety of spatial scales. Incorporating case studies and identifying gaps in our current knowledge, this text serves as a useful introduction to the spatial unevenness of this global phenomenon. As such, it will appeal to students and researchers from across the social sciences.' Aileen Stockdale, Queen's University Belfast, UK 'Davies and James's carefully edited and well-argued book provides a comprehensive overview of the geographical dimensions of population ageing, and is an interesting exploration of the intersection between ageing studies and human geography. The main argument focuses on the spatial variability and unevenness in global population ageing, and thus associates spatial variance in macro ageing trends with spatial unevenness in socio-economic development.' Ageing & Society 'The subject matter of this book is broad and challenging not only because of the many influences upon spatial aspects of ageing but also because it is difficult to assess causes and effects across diverse spatial units... The discussions of ageing in place, housing, labour supply and demand, and environmental implications will be helpful to anyone undertaking research on these aspects.' Geographical Research
