Aging is complex because it involves interrelationships among biological, psychological, social, and cultural processes. it is also a very personal experience. most of us care about aging because we are aware that it is happening to us and to people around us. all of us, if we are lucky, will grow old and all of us continue to age, regardless of where we stand today within the life course. thus, aging is a more universal experience than any other. most of us will grow old, but few of us will change our status in other social categories such as gender or race. even changes in marital status or religion are far less predictable than changes in age status. because aging is something that happens to everyone at a personal level, it is to discuss what happens to individuals as they grow older, and then to put those insights into a larger context—the social context of aging.