Age, Gender and Sexuality through the Life Course argues that the gendered structure of temporality (defined in the dual sense of everyday time as well as age and stage of life) is a key factor underpinning the stalling of the gender revolution. Taking as its central focus the idealised young woman who serves as the mascot of contemporary success, this book demonstrates how the celebration of the Girl is (i) representative of social mobility, educational and professional achievement; (ii) possesses diligence, docility and emotional intelligence, and (iii) displays a reassuring sexuality and youthfulness – but is constructed from the outset to have a fleetingly short life span. Pickard undertakes a theoretical and empirical exploration of the contemporary female experience of education, work, motherhood, sexuality, the challenge of having-it-all. Furthermore, through additional analysis of the transitional ‘reproductive regime’ from youth into mid-life and beyond, this insightful monograph aims to demonstrate how age and time set very clear limits to what is possible and desirable for the female self; yet how the latter factors also, if used reflexively, can provide the key means of resisting and challenging patriarchy. This book is aimed at a broad interdisciplinary audience located in gender studies, age studies, culture studies, sociology and psychology; accessible for advanced undergraduates and beyond.

Intro -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Contents -- Preface -- Introduction -- List of Contributors -- I Gender and the Life Course in Historical Perspective -- 1 Evolutionary Perspectives on Sex Differences in the Higher Primates -- 2 Age, Gender, and the Demographic Transition: The Life Course in Agrarian Societies -- 3 The Life Cycle, Savings, and Demographic Adaptation: Some Historical Evidence for the United States and Europe -- 4 The Demography of Life-Span Transitions: Temporal and Gender Comparisons -- II Gender Differentiation and Social Institutions -- A. Gender and Individual Development -- 5 The Psychobiology of Gender -- 6 The Subjective Experience of Life-Span Transitions -- B. Gender, Age, and Deviance -- 7 The Effect of Age and Gender on Deviant Behavior: A Biopsychosocial Perspective -- C. Gender and the Family -- 8 Fertility as an Adjustment to Risk -- 9 Gender and Parenthood -- D. Gender and the Economy -- 10 Family, Gender, and Occupation in Industrial France: Past and Present -- 11 The Work Histories of Women and Men: What We Know and What We Need to Find Out -- 12 Organizational Barriers to Gender Equality: Sex Segregation of Jobs and Opportunities -- E. Gender and the State -- 13 Gender Politics: Love and Power in the Private and Public Spheres -- 14 Women and the State: Ideology, Power, and the Welfare State -- III Gender and the Life Course in Aging Societies -- 15 Interpretive Social Science and Research on Aging -- 16 Life-Course Analysis in Social Gerontology: Using Replicated Social Surveys to Study Cohort Differences -- 17 Aging Policies and Old Women: The Hidden Agenda -- 18 Women, Men, and the Lengthening Life Course -- Author Index -- Subject Index

How does sexual behavior change over one's life-span? How does sexual satisfaction affect the quality and stability of marriage? How has the AIDS epidemic affected sexual attitudes in America over the past three decades? In this wide-reaching volume, distinguished sociologist Alice S. Rossi addresses these questions and others through fourteen diverse essays on sexual behavior, covering adolescence through old age and studying such groups as singles, married couples, and homosexuals. This extensive study also explores the effects of chronic disease and medication on sexual functioning, recent developments in psychotherapy for sexual problems, and sexual abuse of children, incest, and rape. "The interdisciplinary nature of the project has resulted in a text that is accessible to anyone with a behavioral science background. Well written, well edited, and well received by this reviewer."—Joan C. Chrisler, Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy "This is a book that needs to be on the bookshelf of any AIDS researcher."—AIDS Book Review Journal

With an increasingly diverse ageing population, we need to expand our understanding of how social divisions intersect to affect outcomes in later life. This edited collection examines ageing, gender, and sexualities from multidisciplinary and geographically diverse perspectives and looks at how these factors combine with other social divisions to affect experiences of ageing. It draws on theory and empirical data to provide both conceptual knowledge and clear ‘real-world’ illustrations. The book includes section introductions to guide the reader through the debates and ideas and a glossary offering clear definitions of key terms and concepts.

Sexual beliefs, behaviors and identities are interwoven throughout our lives, from childhood to old age. An edited collection of original empirical contributions united through its use of a distinctive, cutting-edge theoretical framework, Sex for Life critically examines sexuality across the entire lifespan. Rooted in diverse disciplines and employing a wide range of research methods, the chapters explore the sexual and social transitions that typically map to broad life stages, as well as key age-graded physiological transitions, such as puberty and menopause, while drawing on the latest developments in gender, sexuality, and life course studies. Sex for Life explores a wide variety of topics, including puberty, sexual initiation, coming out, sexual assault, marriage/life partnering, disability onset, immigration, divorce, menopause, and widowhood, always attending to the social locations – including gender, race, ethnicity, and social class – that shape, and are shaped by, sexuality. The empirical work collected in Sex for Life ultimately speaks to important public policy issues, such as sex education, aging societies, and the increasing politicization of scientific research. Accessibly written, the contributions capture the interplay between individual lives and the ever-changing social-historical context, facilitating new insight not only into people’s sexual lives, but also into ways of studying them, ultimately providing a fresh, new perspective on sexuality.

This edited volume addresses diversity in sexual and intimate experience later in life (50+) and captures international research and analysis relating to intersectional identities. Contributors explore how being older intersects with differences of ethnicity, gender, sexuality and class.

Sexual Deviance in Health and Aging: Uncovering Later Life Intimacy explores life course health experiences and unmet care needs of populations perceived as sexually deviant in the United States. These groups include but are not limited to: gay, lesbian, and bisexual people; asexual and demisexual people; trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people; intersex people; nonmonogamous and polyamorous people; kink and fetishism practitioners; sex and adult entertainment workers; individuals labeled as sexual offenders and predators; people living with sexually transmitted infections; people identifying as neuroatypical and/or autistic; and people with chronic conditions and disabilities who lead active sexual lives. Lacey J. Ritter and Alexandra C.H. Nowakowski analyze the social, cultural, and political origins of perceptions of these groups as sexually deviant. In the process, they provide history and context for the health care experiences of people within each of these broad groups. Simultaneously, Sexual Deviance in Health and Aging highlights the complexity and individuality of different people’s journeys through sexuality in health and aging.