Due to population explosion and a global increase in average life expectancies, an unprecedentedly high percentage of the world′s population is aging. By the middle of this century there will be up to 2 billion individuals over the age of 65, a demographic shift never before experienced in our human history. In addition, declining birth rates in industrialized countries means a decrease in the number of adults under 64. In Aging Social Policies: An International Perspective the authors consider how policy – domestic and international – affects and will continue to affect the lives of our aging population.
Robbyn R. Wacker, Ph.D., is the Provost and Senior Vice President and Professor of Gerontology at the University of Northern Colorado. Her research interests include international aging social policy and psychosocial predictors of community service use among older adults. She has published over 65 refereed presentations, scholarly articles, books, and conference proceedings and has earned numerous university and professional awards, including UNC’s Academic Leadership Excellence Award.
Karen A. Roberto, Ph.D., is the Director of the Center for Gerontology, Founding Director of the Institute of Society, Culture, and Environment, and Professor of Human Development at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. She also holds adjunct appointments in the Departments of Internal Medicine and Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. She has published over 150 scholarly articles and book chapters, is the editor/author of ten books, and has earned numerous university and professional awards, including the Gerontological Society of America Behavioral and Social Science Distinguished Mentorship in Gerontology Award