CHAPTER 1. THE FIELD OF SOCIAL GERONTOLOGY

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CHAPTER 1. THE FIELD OF SOCIAL GERONTOLOGY

•Chapter Outline •Class Discussion Topics •Student Project and Research Suggestions •Answer Guidelines for “Thinking About Aging” Questions •Lecture/Class Activity Ideas •Community, State, and National Resources •Internet Resources and Activities •Suggested Readings •Films and Videos

CHAPTER OUTLINE

I.The Field of Social Gerontology

• Defining the Terms

1.Gerontology is the scientific study of the biological, psychological, and social aspects of aging.

2.Social gerontology is a subfield of gerontology and is concerned mainly with the social, as opposed to the physical or biological, aspects of aging. It draws on research from all social sciences. The research generated by social gerontologists is used in the applied disciplines of social work, public administration, urban and regional planning, and others.

• Successful Aging

Several factors are associated with successful aging. Successful Aging can be achieved by setting goals, working to achieve these goals, and participating in meaningful activities. Successful aging involves both the individual and society.II.Conceptual Issues in Research on Aging a.Defining Old Age-Old age fined using chronological age, social roles, functional age and subjective age.

1.Chronological age: Commonly used marker of old age.

2.Social Roles and Age: Defines people as old according to social roles. Social roles are expectations or guidelines for people who occupy given positions, such as widow, grandfather, or retiree.

3.Functional Age: Based on how people look and what they can do. In functional terms, a person becomes old when he or she can no longer perform the major roles of adulthood.

4.Subjective age: The most important factors in subjective age identity are activity level and health.

• Cohorts and Generations- These two terms are used interchangeably; however,

generations emphasize kinship linkages. They are shaped by historical changes, compositional differences, and structural changes.Aging and The Life Course An Introduction to Social Gerontology 6e Jill Quadagno (Instructor Manual All Chapters, 100% Original Verified, A+ Grade) 1 / 4

Chapter 1 The Field of Social Gerontology

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© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.III.Ageism a.Forms of Ageism - Ageism refers to a set of beliefs about the aged. It involves discrimination, and prejudice. Stereotypes are a composite of ideas and beliefs attributed to people as a group or social category.

• Age Discrimination-when people act on the basis of negative stereotypes.
• Ageism through the Media- transmitted in a variety of ways-through the family, in the

workplace, between groups of friends. But most importantly, they are perpetuated by the media, including television, the print media, and film. Recently, however, some shows depict older characters in a more positive light.IV.Profile of Older Americans

includes but is not limited to:

• Health - Older people are in good health.
• Marital Status - The chance of being widowed is much greater for women that it is for

men.

• Income and Poverty - Overall improvements in the economic well-being of the elderly

mask considerable differences by marital status, gender and race.d.Education - Each new generation of older people better educated though it is still stratified by race. Education benefits accrue across the life course.V.Careers in Social Gerontology Social gerontology is an applied discipline. There are eight career categories for gerontological specialists. Expanding career opportunities with increasing older population.

CLASS DISCUSSION TOPICS

• Successful aging: Have students describe individuals they know who aged successfully.

Highlight agreement and variation among their responses. This is an excellent way of focusing on the individualized attributes of aging.

• Age stereotype and discrimination: Using Robert K. Merton’s paradigm to illustrate the

relationship between prejudice and discrimination, have students describe one or more of these typologies that they have seen in social institutions. Merton’s typologies are: unprejudiced non-discriminator (all-weather liberal), unprejudiced discriminator (fair-weather liberal), prejudiced non-discriminator (timid bigot), and prejudiced discriminator (all-weather bigot).Have students search the Internet for articles related to stereotypes or prejudiced views of older adults. They can use EBSCOhost or InfoTrac for this search.

• Different cohorts: Organize the class into five cohort groups described in the chapter. Have

each describe their reaction to employment for women, childrearing, premarital sex, saving money, leisure activities, and interaction with members of different ethnic groups.

• Ageism: Have students bring media examples of ageism and/or positive representations of

aging. Have each student describe their findings to class. 2 / 4

Chapter 1 The Field of Social Gerontology

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© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

• Films: Have student watch films that depict positive aging and negate traditional negative

stereotypes of aging.

STUDENT PROJECT AND RESEARCH SUGGESTIONS

1.Service-Learning: If service-learning is a component of your course, you might want to refer to Service-Learning and Undergraduate Sociology: Syllabi and Instructional Materials, edited by Morten G. Ender et. al. This edition is published by the American Sociological Association Resource Center and contains articles on service-learning as well syllabi integrating service- learning.

2.Research Project: Have students examine the aging process in another part of the world. This may be a country that the student has visited or plans to visit in the future. Key points to include in the project: types of roles performed by older adults, examples of stereotypes and discriminations encountered by older adults, and programs to address these areas.

3.Information on the Profession: For an introductory course in social gerontology or sociology of aging, it might be informative to have a student shadow a professional in the field for one day or more. The student should keep a journal of all activities performed by the professional. During the course of the shadowing, the student should ask the professional what she/he enjoys most and least about her/his position. Also, the student should ask the professional to describe opportunities in the field for the next 10-15 years.

4.Portfolios: If students are interested in a career in gerontology, they should keep a portfolio.

Items to be included in the portfolio:

Resumes: A detailed resume highlighting one’s skills. A short one should be included and should target specific kinds of employment.Courses taken, service-learning or cooperative education projects, and volunteer work: Include a detailed description of these items and transcript.Memberships and certifications: It is good to join your professional organization while you are a student. The dues are inexpensive, and it is good information for the portfolio.Evidence of skills and knowledge: Include evaluations provided on papers/projects, student activities, and professional events or activities in which the student is a participant.Letters of Reference: Keep references from professors, supervisors in organizations, professional officers in organizations, and employers.Journal of Professional Development: Keep a journal of your feelings and reactions to the development of your knowledge and professional skills.Future Visions and Dreams: Highlight plans in five-year intervals and develop a vision for overall accomplishments.

ANSWER GUIDELINES FOR “THINKING ABOUT AGING” QUESTIONS 3 / 4

Chapter 1 The Field of Social Gerontology

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© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

• Are the older members of your family aging successfully? In what ways do they meet or

fall short of the criteria for successful aging?Have students role-play the three criteria of successful aging for any older member of their families.

• Pick someone in your family and define her or his age using each of the four definitions

of old age.The student should identify a member of her/his family and define the age of this member using chronological, social role, functional, and subjective definitions of aging.

• List the generations in your family and place each in one of the five cohorts described in

this chapter. Do your family members fit Torres-Gil’s description of their birth cohorts?In what ways?Torres-Gil notes that there are five cohorts. They are: the swing generation (born 1900-1926), the silent generation (born 1927-1945), the baby boomers (born 1946-1964), the baby bust generation (born 1965-1979), and the baby boomlet or echo boomers (born 1980-1994).

• A survey of students on your campus shows that many of them hold ageist attitudes.

Explain why this could be a problem and suggest ways to change students’ attitudes toward the aging.Ageist attitudes could be a problem because older adults are seen or portrayed in a negative manner. This could lead to labeling or the self-fulfilling prophecy. A way to challenge these attitudes is to have older adults attend activities on campus. Have students visit organizations or social events in which there is a large number of older adults. Finally, have students and older adults cooperate on a project together on campus.

• Select a TV show, book, or movie you saw recently and analyze the way aging

characters were portrayed.The response should include positive and negative attributes, as well examples of the “new ageism.”

LECTURE/CLASS ACTIVITY IDEAS

• Invite the president of the local chapter of the gerontological organization in your state. Have

the person discuss with the class some of the activities or programs of the organization as well as the types of professionals who are members. This lecture will familiarize students with the professional organization in the home state.

• Have students read the major paper in the state to determine if there is legislation related to a

social policy for older adults. Some examples of social policies include elder abuse, reduced property taxes, or nursing home fraud. Have students write a letter to the committee focusing on this particular issue specifying her/his support or non-support for it.

COMMUNITY, STATE, AND NATIONAL RESOURCES

Familiarize students with some of the community, state, and national resources on aging during the first couple weeks of classes.

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