Gerontology

This course provides opportunity to define at a personal and societal level the following questions: What is aging? Who are the elderly? What are the issues that impact on the experience of aging? Answers to these questions are explored through scientific subjective, qualitative, and fictive accounts of age and aging in the historical and cultural tradition of the arts and humanities.

Public policy and service delivery for America's aging population and end of life care appear to be at a crossroads as our society struggles to meet the demands of competing political philosophies, advances in medical technology and a rapidly changing demographic profile. In the current political debate the only thing that is clear is the inevitability of change and the certain challenge to existing social, political and economic institutions. This course provides an overview of the significant social and health care policies and programs that effect end of life care,aging populations as well as diverse and vulnerable populations. The course also focuses on the public policy making process and policy analysis. Areas for in-depth analysis will include: health care, income security, long term care, end of life issues, health care finance and formal and informal support systems. When ever possible the course content will be related to the students' work in their major area of study and their professional fields. Particular attention will be paid to Social Security and Medicare, budget deficits, political ideology and how they are employed as issues in the political arena.

This course examines aging and its effect on individuals, using concepts, source materials and methods from the biological and social sciences as well as the humanities. Longevity, morbidity compression and technology have changed the face of aging; the very definition of who is an older adult can be questioned within this altered context. While the process of growing older is still, ultimately, inevitable, how one actually goes through that process is the unique outcome of the mind-body aging experience. The course has two foci: the anticipated physiological and psycho-social changes associated with aging and the various responses older adults may engage in to overcome, adapt to and live with these changes. A course objective is to increase the students skill in moving between societal and individual considerations without losing sight of underlying human questions. We will focus on techniques for studying individuals adaptations to aging with a special emphasis on expected physiological changes, healthy aging, role transition, relationships, cultural variation and living with chronic illness and disability. This course is suitable for the student who wishes to secure a generalist foundation in the content area and apply that knowledge to service delivery, program development, and direct work with older adults.

The goal of the final project is to integrate knowledge gained from the preceding courses, and to apply this knowledge, either through practical experience or a scholarly project (see Culminating Project in Gerontology). The particular content and form of the project will depend on the student's background, interest, and needs, and will be tailored to each individual student.

The goal of the final project is to integrate knowledge gained from the preceding courses, and to apply this knowledge, either through practical experience (see Internship in Gerontology) or scholarly project. The particular content and form of the project will depend on the student's background, interests, and needs and will be tailored to each individual student.