John B. Williamson
Encyclopedia
John B. Williamson is a Professor of Sociology who specializes in gerontology
, social policy
and social welfare.He joined the faculty of the Department of Sociology at Boston College
in 1969 after completing his Ph.D. in social psychology
at Harvard University
. He is also affiliated with the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College and the Sloan Center on Aging & Work at Boston College. Over the course of his career professor Williamson has published 16 books and well over 100 journal articles and book chapters.
, the generational equity debate, and the senior movement. This work has been published in such journals as: International Social Security Review, The Gerontologist, Research on Aging, Journal of Aging and Social Policy, Generations, and Journal of Aging Studies. His writing has contributed to the debate over the proposed partial privatization of Social Security in the United States and to the corresponding debate internationally. He has contributed to the literature on the Notional Defined Contribution (NDC) model as an alternative to funded individual accounts, particularly for developing countries
such as China. His writing on the generational equity debate emphasizes the need for a fair distribution both within and across generations with respect to the allocation of resources such as pensions and health care
benefits and burdens.
and other nations at a similar level of economic development
. He proposes alternatives based on the Notional Defined Contribution (NDC) model that do not subject workers’ pensions to the fluctuations in financial market
s. In addition he has written a book titled Old Age Security in Comparative Perspective (co-authored with Fred Pampel).
Professor Williamson has also written widely on cross-national social indicator
research. This writing includes his co-authored book (with Fred Pampel) entitled Age, Class, Politics, and the Welfare State
(1989) which was selected by the American Sociological Association
for inclusion in the prestigious Rose monograph series. In addition, his many journal articles on social indicators have been published in such journals as The American Sociological Review
, The American Journal of Sociology
, Social Forces, Social Problems, American Journal of Economics and Sociology, International Journal of Comparative Sociology
, Social Science and Medicine, Social Indicators Research, Sociological Inquiry, Sociological Perspectives, and Comparative Social Research. This writing addresses such topics as cross-national differences in pension policy, life expectancy
, income distribution
, social welfare effort, quality of life
, child mortality
, government corruption
levels, as well as environmental sustainability and degradation.
Earlier in his career Professor Williamson addressed questions around poverty, social problems, and corresponding policy initiatives. This work is reflected in the following book titles: Thinking about Poverty in the U.S., Poverty and Public Policy
, Social Problems: The Contemporary Debates, and Strategies against Poverty in America.
Professor Williamson has been very active in a range of professional societies and organizations. In 2007-2008 he served as Vice President of the Gerontological Society of America. At the same time he was chair of the society’s section on Social Research, Policy and Practice. He currently serves as an elected member of the Executive Board, of the International Sociological Association’s Research Committee on the Sociology of Aging. In 1991 he was elected to membership in the National Academy of Social Insurance. He has also been elected as the Secretary/Treasurer of the American Sociological Association’s Section on the Sociology of Aging and the Life Course. In addition, he has been elected Chair for the Society for the Study of Social Problems’ section on Youth, Aging and the Life Course and its section on Poverty, Class and Inequality. Professor Williamson has also offered testimony at hearings held by the Advisory Council on Social Security.
Gerontology
Gerontology is the study of the social, psychological and biological aspects of aging...
, social policy
Social policy
Social policy primarily refers to guidelines, principles, legislation and activities that affect the living conditions conducive to human welfare. Thus, social policy is that part of public policy that has to do with social issues...
and social welfare.He joined the faculty of the Department of Sociology at Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
in 1969 after completing his Ph.D. in social psychology
Social psychology
Social psychology is the scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. By this definition, scientific refers to the empirical method of investigation. The terms thoughts, feelings, and behaviors include all...
at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. He is also affiliated with the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College and the Sloan Center on Aging & Work at Boston College. Over the course of his career professor Williamson has published 16 books and well over 100 journal articles and book chapters.
Primary Focus
A core area of Professor Williamson’s research has been social policy and aging. He has written widely on questions surrounding social securitySocial security
Social security is primarily a social insurance program providing social protection or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others. Social security may refer to:...
, the generational equity debate, and the senior movement. This work has been published in such journals as: International Social Security Review, The Gerontologist, Research on Aging, Journal of Aging and Social Policy, Generations, and Journal of Aging Studies. His writing has contributed to the debate over the proposed partial privatization of Social Security in the United States and to the corresponding debate internationally. He has contributed to the literature on the Notional Defined Contribution (NDC) model as an alternative to funded individual accounts, particularly for developing countries
Developing country
A developing country, also known as a less-developed country, is a nation with a low level of material well-being. Since no single definition of the term developing country is recognized internationally, the levels of development may vary widely within so-called developing countries...
such as China. His writing on the generational equity debate emphasizes the need for a fair distribution both within and across generations with respect to the allocation of resources such as pensions and health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
benefits and burdens.
Social Security Reform
Recently, Professor Williamson has focused on pension reform in China. His work has raised critical issues with respect to the viability of funded individual accounts for ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and other nations at a similar level of economic development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
. He proposes alternatives based on the Notional Defined Contribution (NDC) model that do not subject workers’ pensions to the fluctuations in financial market
Financial market
In economics, a financial market is a mechanism that allows people and entities to buy and sell financial securities , commodities , and other fungible items of value at low transaction costs and at prices that reflect supply and demand.Both general markets and...
s. In addition he has written a book titled Old Age Security in Comparative Perspective (co-authored with Fred Pampel).
Professor Williamson has also written widely on cross-national social indicator
Genuine Progress Indicator
The genuine progress indicator is an alternative metric system which is an addition to the national system of accounts that has been suggested to replace, or supplement, gross domestic product as a metric of economic growth...
research. This writing includes his co-authored book (with Fred Pampel) entitled Age, Class, Politics, and the Welfare State
Welfare State
The Welfare State is a commitment to health, education, employment and social security in the United Kingdom.-Background:The United Kingdom, as a welfare state, was prefigured in the William Beveridge Report in 1942, which identified five "Giant Evils" in society: squalor, ignorance, want, idleness...
(1989) which was selected by the American Sociological Association
American Sociological Association
The American Sociological Association , founded in 1905 as the American Sociological Society , is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the discipline and profession of sociology by serving sociologists in their work and promoting their contributions to serve society.The ASA holds its...
for inclusion in the prestigious Rose monograph series. In addition, his many journal articles on social indicators have been published in such journals as The American Sociological Review
American Sociological Review
The American Sociological Review is a bimonthly, peer-reviewed academic journal covering all aspects of sociology, including new theoretical developments, results of research that advance the understanding of fundamental social processes, and methodological innovations. It is published by SAGE...
, The American Journal of Sociology
American Journal of Sociology
The American Journal of Sociology was established in 1895 by Albion Small and is the oldest academic journal of sociology in the United States. The journal is attached to the University of Chicago's sociology department and it is published bimonthly by The University of Chicago Press. Its...
, Social Forces, Social Problems, American Journal of Economics and Sociology, International Journal of Comparative Sociology
Comparative sociology
Comparative sociology generally refers to sociological analysis that involves comparison of social processes between nation-states, or across different types of society ....
, Social Science and Medicine, Social Indicators Research, Sociological Inquiry, Sociological Perspectives, and Comparative Social Research. This writing addresses such topics as cross-national differences in pension policy, life expectancy
Life expectancy
Life expectancy is the expected number of years of life remaining at a given age. It is denoted by ex, which means the average number of subsequent years of life for someone now aged x, according to a particular mortality experience...
, income distribution
Income distribution
In economics, income distribution is how a nation’s total economy is distributed amongst its population.Income distribution has always been a central concern of economic theory and economic policy...
, social welfare effort, quality of life
Quality of life
The term quality of life is used to evaluate the general well-being of individuals and societies. The term is used in a wide range of contexts, including the fields of international development, healthcare, and politics. Quality of life should not be confused with the concept of standard of...
, child mortality
Infant mortality
Infant mortality is defined as the number of infant deaths per 1000 live births. Traditionally, the most common cause worldwide was dehydration from diarrhea. However, the spreading information about Oral Re-hydration Solution to mothers around the world has decreased the rate of children dying...
, government corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
levels, as well as environmental sustainability and degradation.
Earlier in his career Professor Williamson addressed questions around poverty, social problems, and corresponding policy initiatives. This work is reflected in the following book titles: Thinking about Poverty in the U.S., Poverty and Public Policy
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
, Social Problems: The Contemporary Debates, and Strategies against Poverty in America.
Professor Williamson has been very active in a range of professional societies and organizations. In 2007-2008 he served as Vice President of the Gerontological Society of America. At the same time he was chair of the society’s section on Social Research, Policy and Practice. He currently serves as an elected member of the Executive Board, of the International Sociological Association’s Research Committee on the Sociology of Aging. In 1991 he was elected to membership in the National Academy of Social Insurance. He has also been elected as the Secretary/Treasurer of the American Sociological Association’s Section on the Sociology of Aging and the Life Course. In addition, he has been elected Chair for the Society for the Study of Social Problems’ section on Youth, Aging and the Life Course and its section on Poverty, Class and Inequality. Professor Williamson has also offered testimony at hearings held by the Advisory Council on Social Security.
Book publications
- Gray, Paul S., John B. Williamson, David A. Karp, John Dalphin, Karen Bettez Halnon, and James Carritte. 2007. The Research Imagination. New York: Cambridge University Press.
- Williamson, John B., Diane M. Watts-Roy and Eric R. Kingson, eds. 1999. The Generational Equity Debate. New York: Columbia University Press.
- Powell, Lawrence A., Kenneth J. Branco and John B. Williamson. 1996. The Senior Rights Movement: Framing the Policy Debate in America. New York: Twayne Publishers.
- Williamson, John B. and Edwin S. Shneidman, eds. 1995. Death: Current Perspectives. 4th ed. Mountain View, California: Mayfield Publishing Company.
- Williamson, John B. and Fred C. Pampel. 1993. Old Age Security in Comparative Perspective. New York: Oxford University Press.
- Wallace, Steven P. and John B. Williamson. 1992. The Senior Movement. New York: G.K. Hall (Macmillan).
- Pampel, Fred C. and John B. Williamson. 1989. Age, Class, Politics, and the Welfare State. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Williamson, John B., Judith A. Shindul and Linda Evans. 1985. Aging and Public Policy: Social Control or Social Justice? Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas.
- Williamson, John B., Linda Evans, Lawrence A. Powell and Sharlene Hesse-Biber. 1982. The Politics of Aging: Power and Policy. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas.
- Johnson, Elizabeth S. and John B. Williamson. 1980. Growing Old. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
- Williamson, John B., Linda Evans, Anne Munley, Barbara H. Vinick and Sharlene Hesse-Biber. 1980. Aging and Society. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
- Woods, Daniel W. and John B. Williamson. 1988. Thinking about Poverty in the U.S.: Problems and Policies. New York: Walker and Company.
- Morris, Michael and John B. Williamson. 1986. Poverty and Public Policy: An Analysis of Federal Intervention Efforts. New York: Greenwood Press.
- Williamson, John B., Linda Evans and Michael Rustad, eds. 1985. Social Problems: The Contemporary Debates. 4th ed. Boston: Little, Brown and Company.
- Williamson, John B., David A. Karp, John R. Dalphin, Paul S. Gray, Stephen T. Barry, and Richard S. Dorr. 1982. The Research Craft. 2nd ed. Boston: Little, Brown and Company.
- Willamson, John B., Jerry F. Boren, Frank J. Mifflen, Nancy A. Cooney, Linda Evans, Michael F. Foley, Richard Steinman, Jody Garber, Nancy Theberge and Donna J. B. Turek. 1975. Strategies against Poverty in America. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Journal articles and book chapters
- Watts-Roy, Diane M. and John B. Williamson. (2009). “ Public Pension Programs—Social Security.” pp. 407–428 in International Handbook of the Demography of Aging, edited by Peter Uhlenberg. New York: Springer-Verlag.
- Williamson, John B., Ce Shen, and Yinan Yang. (2009) “Which Pension Model Holds the Most Promise for China: A Funded Defined Contribution Scheme, A Notional Defined Contribution Scheme, or a Universal Social Pension?” Benefits: The Journal of Poverty and Social Justice 17 (2): 101-111.
- Zheng, Bingwen, John Williamson, and Esteban Calvo (2009). “A Comparative Study of Social Security in China and Latin America: Traditional Culture and Institutional Arrangements—From the Point View of Enlarging the Coverage.” Journal of Latin American Studies 31 (1): 3-12.
- Williamson, John B. and Diane M. Watts-Roy. 2009. “Aging Boomers, Generational Equity, and Framing the Debate over Social Security.” pp. 153–169 in Boomer Bust? Economic and Political Issues of the Graying Society, Vol. 1, edited by Robert B. Hudson. Westport, CT:Praeger.
- Higo, Masa and John B. Williamson. 2009. “Retirement.” pp. 328–336 in Encyclopedia of the Life Course and Human Development, edited by Deborah Carr. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale.
- Sano, Joelle and John B. Williamson. 2008. “Factors Affecting Union Decline in 18 OECD Countries and Their Implications for Labor Movement Reform.” International Journal of Comparative Sociology 49 (6): 479-500.
- Johnson, Jessica K. M. and John B. Williamson. 2008. “Universal Non-Contributory Pension Schemes for Low-Income Countries: An Assessment,” pp. 195–209 in Social Protection in an Ageing World, International Series on Social Security, Vol. 13, edited by Peter A. Kemp, Karel Van dan Bosch, and Lindsey Smith. Antwerp, Belgium: Intersentia.
- Calvo, Esteban and John B. Williamson. 2008. “Old-Age Pension Reform and Modernization Pathways: Lessons for China from Latin America.” Journal of Aging Studies 22 (1): 74-87.
- Williamson, John B. 2007. "Social Security Reform and Responsibility across the Generations: Framing the Debate." pp. 311–331 in Challenges of an Aging Society Ethical Dilemmas, Political Issues, edited by Rachel A. Pruchno and Michael A. Smyer. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press.
- Joyce, Kelly, John Williamson, and Laura Mamo. 2007. “Technology, Science, and Ageism: An Examination of Three Patterns of Discrimination.” Indian Journal of Gerontology 21 (2): 110-127.
- Williamson, John B. and Renée Beard. 2007. “ Koureisha Sedai no Shakai Hoshou [Securing Old Age: The Role of the American Senior Rights Movement].” pp. 37–63 in Shakaiseisaku Kenkyu: Shiminkatsudo NPO to Shakaiseisaku [Social Policy Studies: Social Movements, NPO, and Social Policies], edited by Kenichi Tominaga. Tokyo: Toshindo.