Providing a comprehensive overview of issues of ageing from a global perspective this ambitious text introduces the reader to a wide range of issues and policies on ageing. Topics examined include: theoretical perspectives on ageing in society; demographic trends; roles played by older people as political actors; migration; health; pensions; family and institutional care; and elder abuse. This will be an essential text for students of social gerontology, as well as an invaluable resource for students of nursing, social work, social policy and development studies.