Faces of Aging : The Lived Experiences of the Elderly in Japan

The indisputable fact of Japan's rapidly aging population has been known for some time. But beyond statistics and implications for the future, we do not know much about the actual aging process. Senior citizens and their varied experiences have, for the most part, been obscured by stereotypes. This fascinating new collection of research on the elderly works to put a human face on aging by considering multiple dimensions of the aging experience in Japan. __Faces of Aging__ foregrounds a spectrum of elder-centered issues—social activity, caregiving, generational bias, suicide, sexuality, and communication with medical professionals, to name a few—from the perspective of those who are living them. The volume's diverse contributors represent the fields of sociology, anthropology, medicine, nursing, gerontology, psychology, film studies, gender studies, communication, and linguistics, offering a diverse selection of qualitative studies of aging to researchers across the social sciences. Successful Aging Through Participation In Social Activities Among Senior Citizens : Becoming Photographers / Keiko Takahashi, M. Tokoro, And G. Hatano -- The New Elder Citizen Movement In Japan / Nobutaka Doba And Shigeaki Hinohara In Association With Haruo Yanai ... [et Al.] -- Tension, Dependency, And Sacrifice In The Relationship Of An Elderly Couple / Susan Orpett Long -- Generations Apart : Burdens, Bad Families, And Elder Suicide In Rural Japan / John W. Traphagan -- Aging, Gender, And Sexuality In Japanese Popular Cultural Discourse : Pornographer Sachi Hamano And Her Rebellious Film Lily Festival (yurisai) / Hikari Hori -- The Value Of Talk : Critical Perspectives On Studying The Speech Practices Of Elderly People In The United States With Implications For Japan / Anne R. Bower -- Kimochi : Capturing Elderly Japanese Dialysis Patients' Experiences / Natsumi Morita -- Beyond Stereotypes Of Old Age : Discourse Of Elderly Japanese Women / Yoshiko Matsumoto -- Family Conversation As Narrative : Co-constructing Past, Present, And Future / Toshiko Hamaguchi -- A Good Story Is Not Enough : Unmasking And Accommodating The Social Meanings Of Aging In Japan / Hiroshi Ota And H. Giles -- Afterword : Successful Aging And Communication Wellness : A Process Of Transition And Continuity / Jon F. Nussbaum And Carla L. Fisher. Edited By Yoshiko Matsumoto. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Annotation This collection of research on the elderly works to put a human face on aging by considering multiple dimensions of the aging experience in Japan. It foregrounds a spectrum of elder-centred issues from the perspective of those who are living them The chapters in this volume put a human face on aging issues, and consider multiple dimensions of the aging experience with a focus on Japan.