This book explores specific theories on ageing grounded through examination of several issues in social welfare. The book will review different understandings of becoming and being old and how these have been reflected in society in general and social policy in particular. The text aims to explore current debates about ageing populations as well as to understand issues affecting individual older people. A key focus is the crucial relationship between old age and the welfare state, to a large extent concerned with the provision of support to older people. It attempts to understand and evaluate these important welfare issues by exploring conceptual coverage derived from both macro and micro theories of ageing.