Understanding the Life Course provides a uniquely comprehensive guide to understanding the entire life course from an interdisciplinary perspective. Combining the important insights sociology and psychology have to bring to the study of the life course, the book presents the concept's theoretical underpinnings in an accessible style, supported by real-life examples. What do reality TV shows such as Supernanny really tell us about child development? Are teenage rebellions and midlife crises written into our DNA? Does being a grandparent - or even a great-grandparent - equate to being old? This book encourages readers to think about these questions by highlighting the many different ways the life course can be interpreted, including themes of linearity and multi-directionality, continuity and discontinuity, and the interplay between nature and nurture, or genetics and culture. From birth and becoming a parent, to death and grieving for the loss of others, key research studies and theories are introduced, and their contemporary relevance and validity discussed. All stages of the life course are considered in conjunction with issues of social inequality (such as social class, race/ethnicity and gender) and critical examination of lay viewpoints. The book's comprehensive coverage of the life course counters the limitations of working with a certain group or age category in isolation, and its interdisciplinary focus recognizes the centrality of working in and across multi-professional teams and organizations. It will be essential reading for students on vocational programmes in social work, the allied health professions, nursing and education, and will provide thought-provoking insight into the wider contexts of the life course for students of psychology and sociology.

Understanding the Life Course provides a uniquelycomprehensive guide to understanding the entire life course from aninterdisciplinary perspective. Combining the important insightssociology and psychology have to bring to the study of the lifecourse, the book presents the concept's theoretical underpinningsin an accessible style, supported by real-life examples.What do reality TV shows such as Supernanny really tell us aboutchild development? Are teenage rebellions and midlife criseswritten into our DNA? Does being a grandparent - or even agreat-grandparent - equate to being old? This book encouragesreaders to think about these questions by highlighting the manydifferent ways the life course can be interpreted, including themesof linearity and multi-directionality, continuity anddiscontinuity, and the interplay between nature and nurture, orgenetics and culture. From birth and becoming a parent, to deathand grieving for the loss of others, key research studies andtheories are introduced, and their contemporary relevance andvalidity discussed. All stages of the life course are considered inconjunction with issues of social inequality (such as social class,race/ethnicity and gender) and critical examination of layviewpoints.
The book's comprehensive coverage of the life course countersthe limitations of working with a certain group or age category inisolation, and its interdisciplinary focus recognizes thecentrality of working in and across multi-professional teams andorganizations. It will be essential reading for students onvocational programmes in social work, the allied healthprofessions, nursing and education, and will providethought-provoking insight into the wider contexts of the lifecourse for students of psychology and sociology.

Acknowledgments page vii
Introduction 1
What this book is about 1
Why combine sociology and psychology? 3
Who this book is for and why it will be useful 3
Summary of the chapters: brief contents 5
1 Understanding the Life Course 10
Introduction 10
Changes affecting the contemporary life course in the UK 10
Unreality TV, people's perceptions of human 'nature' and lay theorizing 14
Sociology and psychology 19
Life course sociology and life span psychology 23
Social science research methods 30
Life span psychology, life course sociology and multidisciplinarity 33
2 Traditional Psychological Approaches to Children 40
Introduction 40
Physical development and memory 41
Psychoanalytic development 44
The psychosocial approach 47
Attachment 48
Modern psychoanalytic theories and attachment 50
Cognitive development 52
Modern cognitive developmental theory 54
Learning theories 56
Language acquisition 59
Conclusion 61
3 The New Social Studies of Childhood 63
Introduction 63
Criticisms of developmental psychology 67
The 'new sociology of childhood theorists' and other social perspectives 73
Conclusion 86
4 Adolescence and Youth 89
Introduction 89
Adolescence and psychology 89
Youth and sociology 104
Conclusion 117
5 Young Adulthood 119
Introduction 119
Psychology and young adulthood 119
Sociology and young adulthood 128
Conclusion 147
6 Middle Adulthood 149
Introduction 149
Psychology and middle adulthood 150
Sociology and middle adulthood 160
Conclusion 172
7 Old Age 174
Introduction 174
Old age and psychology 178
Old age and sociology 187
Conclusion 197
8 Death, Dying, Grief and Loss 200
Introduction 200
Bereavement and psychology 201
The sociology of death and dying 206
Conclusion 218
Conclusion 221
Bibliography 227
Index 264