The ageing of Western societies has provoked extensive sociological debate, surrounding both the role of the state and whether it can afford the cost of an ageing population and at the role of the family, especially women, in supporting older people. This edited collection brings together a range of leading researchers and theorists from across Europe to advance a sociological understanding of generational relations, in terms of the state and the family and how they are interlinked. Authors examine how changes, such as cuts in welfare provision, migration, urbanization and individualization...

It is impossible in a short review to do justice to all those individual contributions, most of which are interesting in their own right ... Whilst this book is likely to be of particular interest to gerontologists looking for recent developments in approaches to ageing, many of the chapters also address policy issues related to care, housing and social security.' Social Policy The book merits detailed study and should send ripples, if not waves, in a variety of directions. The wide range of topics that are covered should ensure that the papers will be of considerable value to those who are...

With rampant changes to family structures over the past decades, grandparenting has gained new and profound social and economic significance. Despite its importance, however, grandparenting s many dimensions are still poorly understood. "Contemporary Grandparenting" provides a much-needed corrective to this. The first book to take a sociological approach to the new roles grandparents have, it combines new theories with up-to-date empirical findings in an effort to document the changing nature across the globe of these important family members.Taking up this unprecedented task, the...