Stephen Katz
Papers
2
Total Citations
16
H-Index
1
About
Stephen Katz is a leading critical sociologist of aging, whose work reimagines how we understand later life through the lenses of culture, technology, and power. His research centers on the social construction of aging, challenging biomedical and popular narratives that reduce old age to decline, dependency, or crisis. Katz is best known for co-developing the concept of “technogenarians,” a term he and colleagues use to examine how older adults creatively engage with—and are shaped by—digital technologies, health devices, and medical systems. This work, published in a highly cited 2011 volume, has become foundational in the interdisciplinary field of aging, science, and technology studies. More recently, Katz has critically dissected the so-called “epidemic of loneliness” among older adults, arguing that such diagnostic framing risks pathologizing normal social experiences and diverting attention from structural inequalities. His scholarship consistently bridges rigorous empirical research with sharp theoretical insight, earning him a reputation as a vital voice in critical gerontology. With dozens of influential articles and chapters, Katz’s work is essential reading for students and researchers seeking to understand aging not as a biological inevitability, but as a deeply social, political, and technological phenomenon.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
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