Understanding Communication and Aging: Developing Knowledge and Awareness

Understanding Communication and Aging: Developing Knowledge and Awareness explores communication in older adulthood, particularly in the areas of interpersonal, intercultural, and mass communication, and includes coverage of communication using new technology. The book synthesizes existing research, and builds a case for more positive attitudes towards aging and for the power of communication to shape such attitudes. A succinct mix of the conceptual and the practical, Understanding Communication and Aging acknowledges the importance of theory yet also emphasizes that communication and aging is inherently an applied field of study. This approach is reinforced through discussion of applied issues such as health communication and age-related prejudice and discrimination, all supported with concrete examples. Chapters include profiles of older adults and their significant achievements, literary and artistic depictions of aging, and information boxes that discuss myths about aging and keys to aging successfully. There are also numerous exercises and activities to engage readers in learning actively. Forward thinking in approach and coverage, Understanding Communication and Aging is ideal for courses in communication, gerontology, nursing, and family studies. Jake Harwood earned his Ph.D. in communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Currently a professor of communication at the University of Arizona, Dr. Harwood teaches courses in intergenerational communication, communication and music, and research methods. He has authored or coauthored books on intergroup communication as well as communication and aging, and serves as coeditor of the Oxford Encyclopedia of Intergroup Communication. He has contributed articles to Communication Research, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, and other notable journals. Dr. Harwood's research focuses on intergroup and intergenerational communication, and the intersection of music and communication.