Researchers and international organisations frequently suggest that older women are disadvantaged in comparison with older men. This analysis of census and survey data from Thailand, however, indicates a far more complex association between gender and various aspects of ageing. Through an examination of various demographic, economic, psychosocial and health variables, it is found that older Thai women do face certain disadvantages compared to their male counterparts, including lower education and literacy, far higher levels of widowhood and living alone, and a lower likelihood of receiving formal retirement benefits. Older Thai men, however, also face relative disadvantages, including worse survivorship, a lower likelihood of receiving money from adult children, a greater probability of debt and other financial problems, and lower satisfaction with their financial situation. Many other demographic, psychosocial and economic measures are not significantly associated with gender. Our analysis provides some support for a lifecourse perspective, that relates gender differences in old age to differences in earlier life experiences, roles and reward structures, particularly access to retirement pensions and the type of support older men and women provide for their co-resident children. Marital status often mediates gender differences in wellbeing among older people. The study concludes with research and policy recommendations.

Set against the backdrop of an ageing population and the discourse surrounding old age, risk and the welfare state, this paper draws on 51 semi-structured life-history interviews to examine how mid- and late-life Canadians discuss and allocate responsibility for the provision of social, financial and medical supports in later life. Whatever their personal circumstances, most individuals articulated sentiments of personal responsibility for later life. Individual planning and preparation were defined as necessary to secure against the perceived individual and collective risks associated with becoming and being old. The role of the state was intimately connected to individual responsibility, as ‘deserving’ citizens were understood to have legitimate claims to state-supported pensions, health care and social programmes. Although some participants cited the provision of pensions, the least consensus concerned employers' responsibilities. Meanwhile, with the exception of emotional support, most participants had minimal expectations of their relatives or family members. Most rejected the notion that family members should provide housing, financial support or personal care. It is concluded that individual perceptions of risk and responsibility have profound connections to state support, public policy and normative patterns of familial and employer assistance in later life.

The context of this paper is the changing nature of later life in the United Kingdom. It examines some of the broader issues of early retirement. While there has been considerable debate about the restructuring of employment during the latter part of the 20th century which led to a shake-out of older workers from the labour force, less attention has been given to those who take voluntary early retirement. Given the importance of early retirement to the economy and to social policy, it is important to find out how individuals make retirement decisions. The paper examines the results of a semi-structured interview study of the decisions made by a purposively drawn sample of British civil servants who are participants in the Whitehall II study. The sample included participants who chose early retirement and those who did not. From the interview data, ideal types of possible routes into retirement have been constructed. Illustrating these ideal types, individual life histories are drawn upon to show how responses to the issues surrounding retirement feature in people's lives. It is argued that decisions about early retirement are not made in a vacuum, neither are they free from pressures or inducements. Some are to do with organisational restructuring, some are about financial offers, and some are influenced by the opportunities for leisure and self-fulfilment that early retirement offers. The paper concludes by arguing that early retirement needs to be studied as a process involving the interplay between structure and agency.

In recent decades there has been a rapid expansion of assisted-living facilities for older people in many different countries. Much of this growth has occurred with only limited or no government regulation, but many problems have arisen, typically around the quality of care, which have led to demands that governments act to protect vulnerable residents. This paper examines whether formal legal regulation is the optimal policy to protect the needs and rights of frail residents, while respecting the legitimate interests of others, such as operators and owners. It presents the case for and against direct legal regulation (as in institutions), and suggests that no overall a priori assessment is possible. The analysis is based on the case of Israel, where proposed regulations for assisted-living have been introduced but not implemented. After a brief history of assisted-living in Israel – its recent dramatic growth and why this occurred – the paper concludes that formal direct regulation is not the best route to follow, but that the better course would be to develop totally new ‘combined’ regulatory legislation. This would define the rights of residents and encourage self-regulation alongside minimal and measured mechanisms of deterrence. Such an approach could promote the continued development of the assisted-living industry in Israel and elsewhere, while guaranteeing that the rights, needs and dignity of older residents are protected.

Social gerontology, as a distinct discipline, has been slower to develop in France than in Anglo-Saxon countries. Gerontological discourses have been dominated by the medical and physical sciences. At the same time, France has a long tradition of research on ageing that incorporates important social dimensions, particularly in demographic and economic fields. Current developments include research on pensions and related issues such as early-retirement or older people in the labour force; inter-generational relations or family solidarity; disabled elderly people and caring; and ageing among ethnic minority populations. These developments point in the direction of co-ordinated, multi-disciplinary approaches to the life course and ageing in the future.