The Frontier Thesis

Abstract

In this history of gerontology, W. Andrew Achenbaum explains the many problems involved in doing research that spans disciplinary boundaries. Fields that attempt to cross frontiers, even in this era of government and corporate support, often end up becoming marginal scientific enterprises viewed with suspicion, if not disdain, by practitioners in more established fields. For Achenbaum, this theme has a special resonance: it encapsulates the dilemmas of his own career.