Book Review: Social policy for an aging society: A human rights perspective, by Carole B. Cox. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company, 2015, 211 pages
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Abstract
Worldwide the number of older adults is projected to grow at a faster rate than any other age group (Ortman, Velkoff, & Hogan, 2014) thereby making the critical examination of social policies directly impacting this population extremely important. Social Policy for an Aging Society: A Human Rights Perspective is the most recent social policy textbook authored by Carole Cox, PhD. Currently an associate professor of social work at Fordham University, Cox presents her third text in the context of the ethics and value sets of the social work profession. The text’s premise is that adults across the lifespan can actively contribute as members of society and that it is the job of a just society to foster and enable older adults to live their later years with dignity and respect. Moreover, Cox argues that it is equally as important for society to advocate for policies, programming, and services relating to older adults’ well-being. Throughout this text, Cox pays close attention to women and elder ethnic minorities, as they are both particularly atrisk subpopulations within older adults in America.