University of British Columbia Press
Contesting Elder Abuse and Neglect
About this book
The mistreatment of older people is categorized in many societies as “elder abuse and neglect,” yet the concept has not been subjected to rigorous critical inquiry. Instead, it has most often represented the interests of professionals, academics, and governments, while policy makers and researchers frequently overlook or disregard the complexity of issues that fall under this designation.
Contesting Elder Abuse and Neglect questions existing understandings about the mistreatment of older people. It explores how and why the designation “elder abuse and neglect” came to be and shows how this term masks problems concerning the mistreatment of older people, their place in society, and how they see themselves. Joan R. Harbison and her colleagues expose how supposed solutions to the problem of abuse can take their toll on those people they were originally intended to protect. The book is an important contribution to the literature that encourages new thinking about issues concerning the mistreatment of older people.
Author / Editor information
Joan R. Harbison is an adjunct professor at the Dalhousie University School of Social Work in Halifax. She has a wide background in interdisciplinary and international projects and has published nationally and internationally on the mistreatment of older people, ageism, and human rights.
Reviews
This comprehensive and well-written book offers a new perspective on the place of elder abuse within gerontology. It is an invaluable resource that should influence the future of research, education, and public policy.
Sheila Furness, retired senior lecturer in the Department of Social Work and Social Care at the University of Bradford, UK:
This book makes a valuable contribution to the historical as well as the contemporary literature relating to elder abuse and neglect. The main purpose of the book is to critically question existing definitions and understandings about the mistreatment of older people. The authors draw on their own and others’ research to question different constructions of age in order to bring new insights and understanding to this phenomena.
Topics
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Front Matter
i -
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Contents
vii -
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Acknowledgments
ix -
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Introduction
3 -
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Gerontology, Theorizing, and “Elder Abuse and Neglect”
17 -
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“Elder Abuse and Neglect”
54 -
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Struggles in Defining “Elder Abuse and Neglect”
91 -
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The Emerging Global Context for “Elder Abuse and Neglect”
121 -
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How Constructions of Older People Shape Their Relationships to “Elder Abuse and Neglect”
151 -
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Adult Protection Legislation, the Rhetoric of Rights, and the “Right” to Protection
181 -
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How Policies Control Practices
216 -
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Reconstructing the Mistreatment of Older People through Research-Based Knowledge
249 -
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Conclusion
283 -
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Contributors
297 -
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References
299 -
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Index
334
