Contemporary old age is fraught with contradiction and complexity—women portrayed either as incompetent and cuddly grandmothers or as young women trapped in old bodies. Women in Late Life explores the thorny issues related to gender and aging, including cultural expectations, body image, ageism, chronic illness, threats to Social Security, and the challenges of a long-term care system that disadvantages women. Teaching, writing, advocating and training about aging for the past forty years, Martha Holstein is the former associate director of the American Society on Aging and has published widely in academic journals and books. She is also the co-author of the recent work, Ethics, Aging, and Society: The Critical Turn and the co-editor of several books, including Ethics in Community-Based Elder Care.
