Geographical gerontology constitutes a burgeoning field of scholarship that applies geographical perspectives and concepts to study ageing. With contributions from more than 30 scholars, Geographical Gerontology: Perspectives, Concepts, Approaches is an ambitious and thorough text that showcases the intellectual evolution of the field, its increasingly nuanced and transdisciplinary scope, and the growing significance of geographies of ageing in an era of unprecedented global demographic change. The core argument of the book is that ‘geographical perspectives, concepts, and approaches provide constructive, distinct, and essential contributions to the interdisciplinary study of ageing, old age, and older populations’ (Skinner, Andrews and Cutchin, Chapter 1, p. 6). The collection of edited chapters provides an impressive account of the current state of perspectives, theories, concepts and approaches that define the field.
The integrative and transdisciplinary nature of geographical gerontology shines through the book. As the editors note, ‘the beauty of geographical gerontology is due, in part, to its openness to new perspectives, concepts, and approaches to understanding and solving diverse, complex, and important problems of ageing’ (Cutchin, Skinner and Andrews, Chapter 25, p. 315). It can be challenging to situate oneself in a diffused field when faced with the predicament of what discipline to speak from and to (Peace, Chapter 24), but the book addresses this disciplinary dilemma by clarifying the distinguishing features of geographical gerontology. One such feature, and a common theme throughout Geographical Gerontology, is scale as a unit of analysis and perspectival frame. It constitutes an essential orienting principle to frame research questions, methodological approaches and analyses that range from the scale of the body (Herron, Chapter 14) to globe (Phillips and Feng, Chapter 8).
A critical geographic perspective enables understanding the ways in which spatial inequalities and inequities heighten vulnerabilities among ageing populations. This theme is highly visible as chapters pay attention to unequal levels of access, mobility, safety, security, autonomy, resources, health and wellbeing. ‘Ageing in place’ and ‘age-friendly communities’ represent popular and contested concepts. They generally refer to places with robust built and social environmental features, such as accessible public transportation, affordable and physically accommodating housing, and available health and social services to promote wellbeing, autonomy and social connectedness for ageing residents (Lovell, Chapter 12; Buffel and Phillipson, Chapter 10). Yet the reality is that many older adults inhabit derelict, hazardous and unsupportive homes and neighbourhoods incongruous to their needs and goals. Given emotions andor a lack of viable coping solutions, people may opt to ‘age in place’ despite individual crises and severe residential issues (Golant, Chapter 15). Understanding and critically engaging with the everyday environments of older people requires tackling issues of inequality, poverty, decline of the welfare state, rise of neoliberal policies, urban decay, gentrification and exclusion.
The chapters emphasise next steps for future research in geographical gerontology through coherent theoretical and applied directions. The combination of geospatial and qualitative methods, for example, can further explore the interwoven nature of person and place in situ. Such approaches include photo-voice, photo-elicitation, global positioning systems tracking paired with interviews, and go-along and mobile interviews (Cutchin, Chapter 17). Contributors articulate the need to expand spatio-temporal understanding through new ways of capturing person–place dynamics over time. Rowles (Chapter 16) compellingly advocates that geographers adopt a more clinical focus to translate theoretical and empirical understanding into concrete interventions with older adults and in environmental planning. Collaboration, co-design and participatory approaches that incorporate the voices of older people are important as they are best positioned to reason and articulate their own circumstances and lives. The goal is for policy makers and service providers to rely directly upon in-depth, person-centred insights to inform designs and interventions. Participatory research methods and strength-based approaches can empower older people to become leaders and visionaries in developing places that nurture wellbeing for their inhabitants (Andrews, Cutchin and Skinner, Chapter 2; Buffel and Phillipson, Chapter 10; Lovell, Chapter 12).
Altogether, Geographical Gerontology demonstrates that the field is dynamic and constantly evolving its approaches, theories and concepts. Relational thinking and non-representational theory are examples of recent contributions that complicate conventional assumptions and heighten awareness of the reflexive and active transactions between people and places across the lifecourse. There are gaps in the book that in part reflect broader disciplinary limitations to date, including lack of attention to non-Western contexts and perspectives, ageing LGBTQ communities, indigenous populations, refugees, homeless elders and other marginalised groups. The geographical gerontology literature is still limited to a small proportion of the world's ageing population, though this is shifting as scholars such as Rishworth and Elliott (Chapter 9) focus their efforts on low- and middle-income regions and grapple with global geospatial variations in ageing. Social and political geographies of older people, including debates over social justice and rights to the city, could figure more prominently in the text. There is also more room to develop age as an intersectional axis that overlaps with gender, race/ethnicity, social class, sexuality and ability over the lifecourse.
Each chapter engenders excitement and inspiration regarding the future of the field. Visionary calls for disciplinary advancement and agenda-setting provide a helpful framework for specific areas of development. This could be particularly useful to students and early career scholars forming their independent research platforms. In addition, the chapters include extensive citations and bibliographies for readers to dig further into a specific topic of interest. The book's comprehensive foundation and cues for future empirical work will enlighten and inspire fledgling and mature geographical gerontologists alike.
