5.1 Course objectives for part iv

Minority studies: a brief text: course objectives: part iv—aging

Upon completion of this unit, you will be able to:

• Read about, find, identify, interpret, understand, explain, critique, define, present factually and persuasively, and write about and/or discuss aging from a sociologically scientific perspective.
• Read about, find, identify, interpret, understand, explain, critique, define, present factually and persuasively, and write about and/or discuss the various aspects of aging.
• Read about, find, identify, interpret, understand, explain, critique, define, present factually and persuasively, and write about and/or discuss prejudice and discrimination based on age and the various forms they take.
• Read about, find, identify, interpret, understand, explain, critique, define, present factually and persuasively, and write about and/or discuss theories of aging and the ongoing national debate concerning Social Security, health care, and euthanasia.
• Explain the impact of politics, the political process, as well as economic and social policies on the lives of people in the US based on their age.
• Identify the levels into which the US is stratified based on age and how aging impacts peoples’ life chances.
• Identify and differentiate among various theories of aging.
  • Conflict theories
  • Functionalist theories
  • Symbolic Interactionist theories
• Know and analyze the various aspects of ageism and the way it effects families and society.
• Find, interpret, understand, analyze, critique, and write about and/or discuss statistical information concerning stratification/inequality by age.
• Find and interpret demographic data about the elderly from the US Census and other valid and reliable sources.
• Find, interpret, understand, analyze, critique, and write about and/or discuss statistical and historical information concerning the elderly in the past and present in the US.
• Understand, analyze, critique, and write about and/or discuss popular media’s depiction of the elderly and end of life issues.
• Find, interpret, understand, analyze, critique, and write about and/or discuss legal policies concerning the elderly and end of life issues in the US.
• Find, read, interpret, understand, analyze, critique, and write about and/or discuss aging studies found in peer reviewed scientific journal articles.