INCORPORATING DIVERSITY - MEANING, LEVELS OF RESEARCH, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THEORY

Incorporating diverse experiences into gerontological theory, research , and practice is necessary for understanding the lives of all old peo ple, and not only ''special groups.'' I begin by explaining how incorp orating diversity exposes the power relations constitutive of lived ex periences. Using examples from retirement research, I demonstrate that starting with the voices of those with less power renders a more comp lete view of social reality. Further, a wider understanding of aging i n the United States mandates that we move to the international-compara tive level. This enables us to more closely scrutinize the often unque stioned structural and ideological processes that construct divergent aging experiences as well as to conceptualize alternatives. I conclude , then, by noting that a more inclusive approach forces us to see all aging experiences not as determined but rather as fluid, dialectical, contextual - and changeable through human actions.