title: Generations and the generation of theory in social gerontology.
abstract: The process of theorizing, creating theoretical explanations, and disseminating theoretical perspectives is most frequently discussed in terms of disembodied ideas. A more insightful rendering of how theory is used in the sociology of aging literature would attend to the real individuals who promulgate the ideas. Looking at theorizing as a career-related activity engaged in by scholars who are prone to the same demographic imperatives as other human beings is a way of shedding more light on the many uses of theory. The concept of theoretical generations is utilized as a means of accounting for the succession of models and explanatory frameworks.
authors.affiliation: Oregon State University, Corvallis.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hendricks
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D012924:Social Conditions; D012931:Social Environment