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In the News: Merril Silverstein

Religious Change and Continuity Across Generations

Merril Silverstein, Christel Gärtner, Maria T. Brown
Merril Silverstein, Marjorie Cantor Endowed Professor of Aging Studies and chair of sociology, has edited and contributed chapters to “Religious Change and Continuity Across Generations: Passing on Faith in Families of Six European and North American Nations” (Lexington Books, 2024).
December 19, 2024

Silverstein Talks to NPR About China’s Economy Adapting to Serve the Aging Population

Professor of Sociology Merril Silverstein, who studies how infrastructure development is increasingly geared towards an older society in China, says, “Those in more developed villages have less aging anxiety about whether their needs will be met, whether they'll be, you know, happy or not as they get older.”

November 19, 2024

See related: Aging, China, Economic Policy

Older Parents’ Perceptions of Children's Filial Piety in Rural China

Wencheng Zhang, Merril Silverstein, Ying Xu

“Older parents’ perceptions of children's filial piety in rural China: The roles of coresidence, geographic proximity, and intergenerational support,” co-authored by Professor and Chair of Sociology Merril Silverstein, was published in the Chinese Journal of Sociology.

August 27, 2024

Silverstein Discusses Elder Care and Stepfamilies in New York Times Article

As parents age, “there’s a lot of negotiation and uncertainties,” says Merril Silverstein, Marjorie Cantor Endowed Professor in Aging. “Who has the right to make decisions for stepparents becomes murky.” Such families can experience what’s called “role ambiguity,” he says, creating doubts about “what the social expectations are.”

August 12, 2024

Silverstein Edits, Contributes to ‘Aging Families’ Book

Merril Silverstein

Merril Silverstein, Marjorie Cantor Endowed Professor of Aging Studies and chair of sociology, has edited and written the introduction for “Aging Families in Chinese Society” (Routledge, 2022), which was recently released in paperback.

April 15, 2024

Digital Communication As Compensation for Infrequent In-Person Contact With Grandkids During COVID

Xiaoyu Fu, Woosang Hwang, Merril Silverstein

"Digital Communication As Compensation for Infrequent In-Person Contact With Grandchildren During the Pandemic," co-authored by Merril Silverstein, professor and chair of sociology, was published in Innovation in Aging.

January 9, 2024

Silverstein Quoted in New York Times Article on Seniors and Housing Decisions

“Among older people there is a reluctance to project negativity into their future,” says Merril Silverstein, professor and chair of sociology. “There’s research that they tend to put on rose-colored glasses about things like their own aging trajectory so it’s keeping up their ego integrity to want to be independent and stay in their home.”

November 12, 2023

See related: Aging, Housing, United States

Sandwiched in Later Life: Consequences for Individuals’ Well-Being, Variation Across Welfare Regimes

Marco Albertini, Noah Lewin-Epstein, Merril Silverstein, Aviad Tur-Sinai

"Becoming sandwiched in later life: Consequences for individuals’ well-being and variation across welfare regimes," co-authored by Professor and Chair of Sociology Merril Silverstein, was published in The Journals of Gerontology.

October 23, 2023

Maxwell Sociologists Honored and Elected to Leadership Positions at ASA Annual Meeting

Prema Kurien and Janet M. Wilmoth received awards, and several faculty colleagues were elected to roles in the American Sociological Association. 

October 4, 2023

Did Gender Egalitarianism Weaken Religiosity in Baby Boom Women? A Developmental-Historical Approach

Merril Silverstein, Woosang Hwang, Jeung Hyun Kim, Maria T Brown

"Did Gender Egalitarianism Weaken Religiosity in Baby Boom Women? A Developmental-Historical Approach," co-authored by Professor of Sociology Merril Silverstein, was published in Sociology of Religion.

October 2, 2023

Junko Takeda and Merril Silverstein Named Chairs at Maxwell School

Takeda is leading the citizenship and civic engagement program on an interim basis, while Silverstein has taken the helm of the Sociology Department. 

July 13, 2023

Silverstein Weighs In on America’s Religious Shift in New York Times Article

One of the main qualifications people seem to be looking for in their new spiritual communities is something that is less exclusionary than the denominations they were raised in. But it’s precisely the more “dogmatic” denominations and religious sects that are better able to keep adherents, says Merril Silverstein, professor of sociology.

July 5, 2023

See related: Religion, United States

Silverstein, Takeda Receive 2023 Excellence in Graduate Education Faculty Recognition Awards

The honor is presented to faculty members who have a significant, positive influence on graduate education through their commitment to superior graduate teaching, dedication to departmental and community presence and work in research initiatives.

April 26, 2023

See related: Awards & Honors

How Has Grandparenthood Changed in Rural China?

Merril Silverstein

This data slice examines the changes in grandparenting in rural China and calls for policies that decrease caregiver burnout, stress, and associated poor health outcomes. 

November 29, 2022

Silverstein Comments on Multigenerational Living in New York Times Article

Merril Silverstein, Marjorie Cantor Endowed Professor in Aging, was quoted in the New York Times article, "The Nuclear Family Is No Longer the Norm. Good."

March 31, 2022

2021 One University Awards Recipients Include Several from Maxwell

Syracuse University announced its 2021 One University Awards, honoring members of the University community for their scholarship, teaching, academic achievement, leadership and service.
May 10, 2021

See related: Awards & Honors

Maxwell sociologists appointed to leadership roles at ASA

Three professors of sociology at the Maxwell School, all affiliated with the University’s Aging Studies Institute, have been named to leadership roles within the American Sociological Association (ASA), the premiere professional organization for scholarly research in sociology.
September 14, 2020

Silverstein to study religion, prosocial values among millennials

The degree to which religion is decoupled from prosocial goals and spirituality in contemporary young adults is one of many research questions to be addressed in the project “Spirituality and Prosocial Values in the Absence of Religion Among Millennials and Their Families.” This study will be led by Merril Silverstein, the Marjorie Cantor Endowed Professor of Aging Studies in the Falk College and the Maxwell School.

October 14, 2019

See related: Religion, United States

New Dimensions in Spirituality, Religion and Aging

Merril Silverstein
December 31, 2018

See related: Aging, Religion

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