This chapter launches a critical exploration of the state of knowledge on transitions in late life. Transition is a standard concept used in social sciences and policy to anchor notions of continuity and change throughout the lifecourse. As such, it is relevant to the study of ageing in contemporary society. This chapter outlines prominent academic approaches in the social sciences; reviews the contributions from the multidisciplinary fields of anthropology, sociology and psychology; and outlines how these ideas have been interpreted in social gerontology. Key themes developed in each of the disciplines are presented according to the following subsections: transition as a passage of rite or ritual; transition as movement between roles or status; and transitions as adaptation or development. Although the organisation of the material roughly corresponds with the disciplines, the intent is to clarify how ideas in each of the fields have influenced contemporary approaches to late life in social gerontology. As such, this chapter provides a multidisciplinary base from which to compare and contrast personal, social, and cultural shapes of ageing and late life.

Questions to be explored in this chapter include:

• • What is meant by transition in the social sciences? How have transitions been understood across varying disciplines?

• • How has social gerontology approached the study of transition? What key themes, debates and dilemmas can be identified?

• • How do dominant understandings of transition contribute to, or shape, expectations of stability and change in late life?

• • What relevant notions are worthy of re-examination?

The academic study of transition

Multidisciplinary approaches to the study of transition are linked by common threads as well as separated by distinctive interpretations. Consistent among the approaches is the underlying basis of studying change and movement across time, assessment of the degree of conformity or difference, and concern for timing or predictability. Differences relate to the primary focus, level of analysis and disciplinary boundaries of study. Anthropology tends to focus on cultural meanings and practices related to change; sociology on roles and status; and psychology on developmental tasks and coping. They also differ in whether changes are considered on an individual or social level, as well as whether transitions are viewed as fixed moments or constructed accounts.