In this chapter, you will learn how to:

1. Recognize how Americans created a gerontology sector in which older adults have historically been perceived as weak and dependent
2. Recognize political aspects of the gerontology sector, including powerful players and interests as well as underrepresented ones
3. Understand some social injustices in the gerontology sector
4. Analyze seven core problems in the gerontology sector
   • Identify barriers in remedying each of them
   • Recognize important policies, regulations, and organizational factors that provide the context for each of them
   • Understand some Red Flag Alerts for each problem
   • Understand some connected micro, mezzo, and macro policy interventions by social workers seeking to ameliorate the seven problems
   • Understand gerontology-related initiatives
5. Drawing upon vignettes in this chapter, discuss how advocates can move from micro policy advocacy to mezzo and macro policy advocacy