SC 096: Aging and Society
Fall 2010
Monday/Wednesday/Friday 12:00-12:50 pm
212 Cushing Hall
Professor: Sara Moorman
Office: 404 McGuinn Hall
Office hours: Mondays 1:00-3:00 pm or by appointment
E-mail: Sara.Moorman.1@bc.edu (please include “SC096” in the subject line)
Office phone: 617-552-4209
Teaching Assistants: Eliz Storelli and Liz Tov
Office: 410 McGuinn Hall
Office hours: Wednesdays 1:00-3:00 pm (Eliz); Fridays 1:00-3:00 pm (Liz)
E-mail: storelli@bc.edu; elizabeth.tov@bc.edu
About the Course
“Age doesn’t matter unless you’re a cheese,” quipped actress Billie Burke (the Good Witch in
The Wizard of Oz). Nevertheless, age does matter within societies. This class will cover specific
topics in four general areas of sociological study: roles and relationships (e.g., within the family),
inequalities (e.g., ageism), institutions (e.g., health care), and social change (e.g., the aging of the
population). By the end of the course, you will have acquired a new approach to thinking about
how you and others age in the social world and the ways in which age is portrayed in the media.
Aging and Society as a Core Course
Core courses at Boston College: (a) help students to ask and answer the "perennial questions,”
(b) present culturally diverse material, (c) present an historical view of the subject,
(d) demonstrate the methodology of the discipline, (e) include a significant writing component,
and (f) challenge students to create a personal philosophy of life.
Aging and Society addresses longstanding questions such as “How does a society enable and
constrain the lives of people within it?” and “How should society be structured?” In order to
think about these questions, students must compare and contrast cultures both contemporary and
historical to see how they have met (or failed to meet) the needs of persons of all ages. Students
will learn about methodology so they have a scholarly basis from which to evaluate concepts,
and they will record their critical thinking in three papers and five short exercises. Finally,
students will develop a perspective on aging, both in their own lives (“What would I need to do
to feel I have lived a good life?”) and the lives of others (“What can I do to improve the quality
of life of older persons?”).
Academic Honesty
Your work must be your words and ideas. When writing papers, use quotation marks around
someone else’s exact words and identify whose words they are. If you come across a good idea,
by all means use it in your writing, but be sure to acknowledge whose idea it is. Failure to
comply will result in (a) automatic failure of the assignment, and (b) a report to the Dean and the
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Committee on Academic Integrity. For further information, please review the College’s policies
on academic integrity here:
http://www.bc.edu/offices/stserv/academic/resources/policy.html#integrity
Textbook
The bookstore has ordered:
 Quadagno, Jill. 2011. Aging and the Life Course. 5th ed. (ISBN 9780073528229)
But, you can save a lot of money by instead buying, online or from someone who took this
course last year:
 Quadagno, Jill. 2008. Aging and the Life Course. 4th ed. (ISBN 9780073528168)
Either edition is fine! The 4th edition is available on 2-hour reserve at O’Neill.
Other Required Books
Select any TWO of:

Blechman, Andrew D. 2008. Leisureville. (ISBN 9780802144188)

Delany, Sarah L. and A. Elizabeth Delany. 1993. Having Our Say. (ISBN 0440220424)

Ellis, Neenah. 2002. If I Live To Be 100. (ISBN 0609608428)

Geist, Mary Ellen. 2008. Measure of the Heart. (ISBN 0446580929)

Juska, Jane. 2003. A Round-Heeled Woman. (ISBN 0812967879)

Lodge, David. 2008. Deaf Sentence. (ISBN 0670019925)

Sarton, May. 1973. As We Are Now. (ISBN 9780393309577)

Winakur, Jerald. 2009. Memory Lessons. (ISBN 9781401303020)
(These books are available at the bookstore, from Amazon and other online retailers, on 2-hour
reserve at O’Neill, and in the Boston area public libraries.)
Course Reserves Online
Access weekly discussion articles as .pdf files through the library website
(http://www.bc.edu/libraries/) or through the link on the course Blackboard page.
Blackboard
Visit the Blackboard page for this course regularly for announcements (including extra credit
opportunities), grades, and course materials.
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Submitting Papers
On time: Bring a hard copy of your paper to class on the date it is due. If for some reason this is
not possible (e.g., cannot attend class that day; printer failure) I will accept papers in .pdf form
via e-mail until 11:59 pm. You should submit via e-mail so that we both know the time it was
submitted. Otherwise, the paper counts as “submitted” at the time I receive it: If you slid it under
my office door at 11 pm on the due date but I do not find it until I arrive at my office the next
morning, it’s late. If you e-mail me a paper, I will respond confirming that I received it, can open
the attached file, and am grading it. If you haven’t received confirmation, then I do not have your
paper.
Late: Papers submitted after 11:59 pm on the due date are late and will lose a letter grade a day.
That is, a paper submitted on time is worth, at best, an A. A paper submitted between midnight
and 11:59 pm of the day following the due date is worth, at best, a B. If you are submitting work
late but wish to avoid the late penalty, you must make arrangements with me in advance, or you
must provide proof of extenuating circumstances (e.g., doctor’s note, funeral program).
Schedule
Week
Date
Topic
1
September 8
Introduction to the
course
September 10 Aging now and in history
Reading
Due
If using 4th ed.: Chapters
3 and 4
Video: SNL (Betty White)
Activity 1: Life timeline
If using 5th ed.: Chapters
2 and 4
Discussion article:
Pogrebin
2
September 13
September 15
September 17
3
September 20 Ageism
Book: A Round Heeled
Woman
If using 4th ed.: pp. 1015, 56-60
If using 5th ed.: pp. 1014, 32-36
Video: 30 Days
Activity 2: Age norms
Discussion article:
Friedan
Discussion
question
Activity 1
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Week
Date
Page 4 of 8
Topic
Reading
Due
September 22
September 24
4
September 27
September 29 Health Inequalities
If using 4th ed.: chapter
16
Discussion
question
Activity 2
Book: If I Live To Be 100
Video: Unnatural causes
Activity 3: Privilege walk
If using 5th ed.: chapter
15
Discussion article:
Buettner
October 1
5
October 4
October 6
October 8
Medicare and Medicaid
If using 4th ed.: Chapter
11
Book: Memory Lessons
th
Video: Medicare &
Medicaid at 40
6
October 11
If using 5 ed.: Chapter
5
Discussion
question
Activity 3
Life history
interview
Discussion article:
Activity 4: Medicare part D Holstein
NO CLASS: Columbus
Day
October 13
October 15
7
October 18
October 20
Family Caregiving
If using 4th ed.: pp. 229241
Book: Deaf Sentence
Video: Complaints of a
Dutiful Daughter
Activity 5: Impairment
If using 5th ed.: pp. 277292
Discussion article:
Matthews
Discussion
question
Activity 4
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Week
Date
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Topic
Reading
Due
October 22
8
October 25
October 27
October 29
Nursing Homes
If using 4th ed.: pp. 217224, 241-249
Discussion
question
Activity 5
Book: As We Are Now
Video: Andrew Jenks
Room 335
Activity 6: Five Wishes
9
If using 5th ed.: pp. 217222, 292-298
Discussion article:
Kennedy (on
Blackboard)
November 1
November 3
10
November 5
Book
review 1
November 8
Discussion
question
November 10 Dementia
Book: Measure of the
Heart
Video: The Secret Life of
the Brain
If using 4th ed.: pp. 157161
Activity 6
If using 5th ed.: pp. 158161
Discussion article:
Mace (two .pdfs)
Activity 7: Cognitive
testing
November 12
11
November 15
November 17
Discussion
question
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Week
Date
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Topic
November 19 Retirement
Reading
Due
If using 4th ed.: chapters
12 and 15
Activity 7
Book: Leisureville
Video: Retire Smart, Retire
Happy
Activity 8: Fixing Social
Security
12
If using 5th ed.: chapters
10 and 14
Discussion article:
Kingson
November 22
November 24 NO CLASS: Thanksgiving
November 26 NO CLASS: Thanksgiving
13
November 29
December 1
December 3
Aging Well
If using 4th ed.: chapter
17
Discussion
question
Activity 8
Book: Having Our Say
14
Video: Raging Grannies
If using 5th ed.: chapter
16
Activity 9: Home
assessment
Discussion article:
Critser (two .pdfs)
December 6
December 8
Book
review 2
Activity 9
Discussion
question
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Assessment
Grading scale
A+
none at Boston College
B+
87 – 89%
C+
77 – 79%
D+
67 – 69%
F
below 60%
A
B
C
D
93 – 100%
83 – 86%
73 – 76%
63 – 66%
Task
Due date
Activity papers
September 20, 29
ABCD-
90 – 92%
80 – 82%
70 – 72%
60 – 62%
Percentage of grade
6 at 5% each: 30%
October 8, 20, 29
November 10, 19
December 3, 8
Discussion questions
September 17, 27
8 at 2.5% each: 20%
October 6, 18, 27
November 8, 17
December 1, 8
Life history interview
October 8
15%
Book review #1
November 5
15%
Book review #2
December 8
20%
Activity papers: For each topic, we’ll complete an activity. In class each week, you’ll receive a
handout with further directions, and we’ll spend some class time doing and/or discussing the
activity. (Additionally, everything you need to complete the activity will be available on
Blackboard.) Then, to receive credit for the activity, you will write a two-page reflection paper,
which is due the first day of the next topic. There are 9 activities, and you are required to
complete 6 activity papers. You may decide to write about every activity, in which case I will
drop your lowest three scores, or you may skip up to three weeks—but proceed with caution:
Mark the due dates on your calendars and read the late work policy carefully.
Discussion questions: For each topic, there is a reading selection that will form the basis for a
class discussion. On the discussion dates listed on the schedule, come to class (a) having read the
selection, and (b) having written down a question for discussion. Your question should be
something for thought, debate, or clarification rather than an exam-type question. For example,
“Do others think that this practice is ethical?” or “What did the authors mean when they said
this?” rather than “What year did Social Security become law?” You’ll turn in your question as
evidence that you were prepared for discussion—if you must miss class or choose not to speak in
class, you can still earn credit. Because the purpose of this exercise is to help you prepare for
class, you will submit discussion questions by the end of class on their due dates. I will not
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accept late questions. You get one “pass:” there are 9 discussions, and you are required to turn in
questions for 8 of them.
Papers: Scores on three five-page writing assignments will determine the other 60% of your grade.
I’ll provide you with much greater detail on these assignments as they get closer. Here are the basics:
(1) Life History Interview. Obtain permission to interview someone aged 65 or older. Your interview
should cover three themes: (i) Personal life events (e.g., childhood, education, work, marriage,
children/grandchildren), (ii) Societal life events (e.g., war experience, inventions/technological
changes, cultural trends, political events), and (iii) Life review (e.g., what would your interviewee do
differently if s/he could? What is s/he most proud of? What advice does s/he have for a person who is
young today?)
(2) Book Reviews. Read two of the books listed under “Other Required Books” on the second page
of the syllabus. For each, consider: (i) What did the book have to say about aging? (ii) What were
your personal reactions to the book’s messages about aging? (iii) How did the book’s messages about
aging support or counter the material we covered in class and/or the material in your textbook?