Ageing populations represent a key global challenge for the twenty-first century. Few areas of life will remain untouched by the accompanying changes to cultural, economic and social life. This book interrogates various understandings of ageing, and provides a critical assessment of attitudes and responses to the development of ageing societies, placing these in the context of a variety of historical and sociological debates. Written in a highly accessible style, the book examines a range of topics including: demographic change across high- and low-income countries; theories of social ageing; changing definitions of 'age'; retirement trends; family and inter-generational relations; poverty and inequality; and heath and social care in later life. The book also considers the key steps necessary in preparing for the social transformation which population ageing will bring. The book provides a fresh and original approach to a topic of central concern to students and scholars working in sociology, social policy and wider social science disciplines and the humanities.