CSS Noon Lecture Series - Successful Aging in Transitional China: Accomplishment and Challenges

Lydia Li, Associate Professor of Social Work, University of Michigan

Successful aging is a very relevant topic for China, given that it has the largest elderly population in the world, and one of the fastest rates of population aging in human history. In this talk, Professor Li will address three questions. First, has there been more success in successful aging since China began the economic reform in the late 1970s? Second, who among those living in contemporary China are more and less likely to age successfully and why? Third, how would the trend of successful aging in China be affected by rapid industrialization and urbanization? She will review the literature, especially empirical studies, to draw answers to the questions. Challenges to realizing successful aging in China will be discussed.

Lydia Li is Associate Professor at the School of Social Work, University of Michigan. Her research areas include social support in later life, stress and coping of family caregivers, dynamics of formal and informal care, health trajectories of home care elders, and late-life depression and suicide. She is interested in cross-cultural research. Her most recent work involves community-based interventions for and epidemiological studies of late-life depression in China. She is a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and a Hartford Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholar. Currently, she serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal Gerontological Social Work and as Associate Editor of BMC Geriatrics. She is the adviser of the specialist in Aging Certificate and the lead faculty for the Gerontology Learning Community at the U-M School of Social Work. She is affiliated with the Center for Chinese Studies and Population Studies Center at the University of Michigan.

Coffee, tea and light refreshments will be served. Please come about 10 minutes early to get a good seat ~ all are welcome to attend (free and open to the public).