Collaborative Research Networks
Organizers
Nina A. Kohn
The Aging, Law & Society CRN aims to bring together legal scholars and scholars working in the social sciences to share research and ideas about the relationship between law and aging. Specifically, the Aging, Law & Society CRN is intended to create opportunities for scholars to think about and discuss how the law responds to the needs of people as they age, as well as how law shapes the aging experience. The goal of the proposed CRN is to increase dialogue and collaboration on important descriptive and normative questions related to law and aging.
Traditionally, the development of public policy focused on older adults has been dominated by the medical sciences and related fields, such as psychology and social work, as well as other social sciences, such as sociology and anthropology that examine group behavior and structure. The legal academy, by comparison, is just beginning to play a significant role in shaping the emerging field of gerontology. Despite the increasing interest in law and aging across many disciplines, there is currently no international forum for scholars working on these issues to come together to collaborate and workshop ideas. In addition, many of the legal scholars who are focused on law and aging are working in diverse locations across the globe and often have little contact with scholars working in other disciplines.
The proposed Aging, Law & Society CRN is designed to provide an international platform for collaborative work by facilitating international research collaboration and information sharing. If approved, the Aging, Law & Society CRN would help bridge the existing gaps in communication and foster high-quality research on law and aging that is both international and interdisciplinary in scope.