SOC 433 sample syllabus
SOC 433
Topics in Social Inequalities:
Aging, Inequality, & Society
(instructor’s information)
Course description
Many of the controversies surrounding aging and older age in contemporary U.S. society reflect issues of social
inequality: For example,
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Are older adults benefitting unfairly from social programs such as Medicare and Social Security, at the
expense of younger age groups?
How and why are women penalized economically for the unpaid labor they often perform within the home?
Should women’s unpaid labor be considered in Social Security calculations (for example, by giving
“credits” for childcare and eldercare)?
How does aging influence dynamics of power in interpersonal relationships, including family life?
Should health care be rationed on the basis of age?
Should people have the choice to end their lives?
We will examine these and other questions relevant to aging and social inequality in this course.
Central perspectives for the course. Dynamics of aging and inequality occur at both the “micro” level of
interpersonal interaction, and at the “macro” level of societal institutions and social policies. The theoretical
perspectives of social constructionism, exchange theory, and political economy will aid our explorations of these
issues.
A social constructionist perspective emphasizes how we come to define social reality in certain ways, and it
emphasizes our active decision-making. Dominant beliefs and expectations concerning age (or gender or race, or
other social phenomena) can be reinforced through social interaction -- or they may be resisted or challenged.
Social constructionism helps us to understand how women and men of all ages attach meaning to their life
experiences, how they define themselves and others, and how they act upon those meanings. We will use this theory
to understand ageism in contemporary American society, the status of older persons earlier in U.S. history, and how
older persons are perceived and treated in different cultures.
Exchange theory focuses on patterns of giving and receiving in human relationships, and the dynamics of
power within those relationships. Individuals and groups who have access to greater resources tend to have greater
power in their interactions with others, but the balance of power is dependent upon what is valued within a given
relationship. One of our authors (James Dowd) argues that older adults are disadvantaged in their interactions with
younger persons because important resources tend to decline with age. Do you think this is true? What about
interactions between nursing home residents and staff? What resources are brought to bear in this setting on the part
of these interacting parties? Who tends to have more power, and why? We will apply this theory to various issues
and settings.
Addressing the broader, more “macro” realm of human experience, political economy assumes that the
social order reflects the dominance of powerful groups. The interests of powerful groups are reflected in the
economy and other institutions of society, including social policies which allocate resources to individuals and
groups. Furthermore, the interests of dominant groups extend beyond material conditions into the subjective realm
of ideology and belief systems -- and hence shape our views of reality, bringing us back to social constructionism.
Questions from a political economy perspective include: Do older Americans constitute a powerful group in society?
How are social policies and programs relevant to aging shaped by the political and economic structure of society,
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and by particular groups within society? For example, how has the nursing home industry influenced policies
concerning long term care? How does capitalism influence the provision of health care, as well as attitudes toward
aging and older persons?
Scope of the course. The primary focus of this course is on contemporary western societies, particularly
the United States. However, to make sense of the context for aging in any society, it is essential to consider aging in
cross-cultural and historical perspective. Thus, some comparative and historical materials are integrated into the
readings and discussions for the course. Also, we will examine intersections between aging, gender, race-ethnicity,
and social class throughout the course. As will be evident in our course readings and discussions, the experience of
aging varies greatly according to our membership in social groups, and our groups’ access to resources, status, and
power in society.
Student Learning Outcomes
When this course is completed, all students should be able to:
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List key facets of contemporary controversies concerning aging and older adults
Critically analyze these issues using sociological theories
Reach their own conclusions concerning these issues
Course readings
The readings for the course are available as a packet at Johnny Print, 547 S. Limestone
(254-6139), beginning Friday, August 27.
Course Expectations
Students are expected to attend class regularly and on time, to participate in class discussions, and to complete
assigned readings prior to class time. These dimensions of class participation are highly correlated with student
learning, and are reflected in the quality of graded work completed for the class.
1. Class participation
Because the quality of our class depends greatly on the contributions all members make, class participation will be
incorporated as part of your final grade. Opportunities for participation include contributing to class discussion and
asking questions, participating in small group discussions, and completing exercises.
Opportunities for participation include contributing to class discussion and asking questions, participating in small
group discussions, completing written exercises that are assigned throughout the semester, and making a brief oral
presentation to the class (described below). Exercises must be turned in on time, and cannot be made up, but you
will not be penalized for missing an in-class or out-of-class assignment if you have an excused absence for that day.
a) Written exercises. Brief written exercises will be assigned frequently throughout the semester. These
exercises are helpful in several ways: They encourage students to keep up with the course readings; class discussion
is enhanced when students have thought carefully about the issues beforehand; and the exercises help students to
assess their understanding of course materials. (Feedback will be provided on your work, identifying any areas that
seem unclear or that need to be developed more fully.) The written exercises typically range from several sentences
to a paragraph or two. Please type or hand-write neatly.
These exercises are graded on the basis of effort:
✓
Assignment was taken seriously and completed fully. In previous semesters, most
written exercises have earned a “check.” Do not worry about being “off-track” on some
aspects of the assignment -- the purpose is to help assess your understanding, and to determine
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whether some ideas and information need to be reviewed more fully in class discussion.
✓+
Work is truly outstanding. Effort is well above and beyond what was requested;
✓Work is sub-par, or the assignment was not completed fully.
b) Small-group/class discussions and activities. Discussion and hands-on activities are integral parts of the
course. All of us learn more effectively when we are actively involved in the education process.
A note on grading class participation: Effort as well as quality of participation (e.g., bringing in information
from the assigned readings, showing a clear understanding of the issues involved) will be considered.
2. Readings
Assigned readings are to be completed prior to class. In-class exercises typically will require you to draw on
information from the readings assigned for that day.
3. Take-home essays
Because we will be analyzing the adequacy of arguments, theories, and empirical evidence concerning aging, a takehome exam format seems most useful for this course. In this way, you will be able to refer to course readings and
notes in order to support your arguments.
In my experience, take-home essays are as challenging as closed-book exams taken in class, if not more so.
The take-home format offers the advantage of being able to focus on ideas more fully, rather than memorizing
information, and provides more time to construct and develop one's arguments. However, this format also requires
keeping up with course readings and coming to class regularly.
There are three sets of take-home essays for the course:
Essay sets #1 and #2 will each consist of three essays (2 ½ -3 ½ pages each, typed double-spaced). The
essays will be based upon central questions we are examining in class readings and discussions. Essay questions will
be distributed as material in the course so that students can work on the questions at their own pace (see the
following page for due dates for the essay sets).
Final essay. The final work for the course will be comprised of one essay question (2 ½ -3 ½ pages, typed
double-spaced) and a project paper (described below).
A handout describing the format and grading criteria for the essays will be distributed early in the semester.
Rewrite opportunities. Students will have the opportunity to rewrite and resubmit any of their essays from
essay sets #1 and #2 for a potential improvement in their grades. The rewritten essay(s) must be turned in no later
than one week after the graded essays are returned to the class, and must be accompanied by the original graded
essay(s). Deductions for essays that were turned in late cannot be recouped with the rewrite option.
4. Course project
The course project consists of two parts: 1) research conducted with several other class members on a selected topic
concerning aging and inequality, the results of which will be presented to the class as a whole; and 2) a paper based
on this research that you will write as an individual effort.
a. Topic for the project. During the second week of class, you will be asked to identify several topics
relevant to the course that you would be interested in pursuing in-depth during the semester (e.g., attitudes toward
aging or older adults; health care; euthanasia; gender or ethnic differences in the aging experience; poverty in old
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age). The research groups will be formed based on students’ expressed interests. Each group will then need to
narrow their general topic to a specific issue or question that can be researched.
b. Group component. As a group, you will decide on the specific issue or question to examine, conduct
research on this topic, and present results and recommendations to the class. You may choose to conduct a survey (e.g.,
survey respondents about their attitudes toward older adults or the aging experience); do participant observation (e.g.,
observe interactions at a senior center); conduct a content analysis of a selected media (e.g., television; print media) with
regard to the portrayal of older adults... there are many possible research projects your group could pursue. Some
library research should be a component of the group project (e.g., obtaining some relevant background information;
comparing your findings with other, published findings), but your group (or a subset of the group) should also conduct
some “data collection” of its own. I will provide more detailed information about possible research avenues early in the
semester.
c. Project paper.
As an individual effort, you will write a paper 8-10 pages in length that discusses the methods and results of the
group research, relates the research findings to relevant course readings and discussions, and explains the findings from
the perspective of one of the three central theoretical perspectives for the course. More detailed information about the
paper will be forthcoming.
Due dates for the take-home essays and project paper
Sep. 23 (Thursday)
Essay set #1
Oct. 28 (Thursday)
Essay set #2
Dec. 14 (Tuesday)
Final essay and project paper
Grading
% of Final Grade
Class participation (including take-home
exercises, small-group projects, and
participation in class discussion)
Essay set #1
Essay set #2
Final essay
Course project
(presentation 15%; individual paper 15%)
20%
20%
20%
10%
30%
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100%
Final grades will be determined as follows:
A = 90% - 100%
B = 80% - 89%
C = 70% - 79%
D = 60% - 69%
E = 59% and below
POLICY FOR MAKE-UP WORK
Assignments made as part of the class participation component are due on the date specified, and cannot be made up or
turned in late. You will not be penalized for missing the work if you have an excused absence. However, students with
excused absences in excess of one-fifth of all class days will be encouraged to petition for a “W” (as per University
Senate Rules).
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Except under unusual circumstances which are beyond your control, and which qualify as an excused absence, essays
turned in late will be deducted one-half letter grade per day.
REMINDER
Please refer to the Student Rights and Responsibilities handbook (available on the 2 nd floor of Patterson Office Tower, if
you do not have one) if you are unclear about plagiarism or the penalties for this offense.
Aging, Inequality, & Society
Course Schedule
INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE
Aug. 26 Introduction to the course; getting to know one another.
Aug. 31 Population Aging and Implications for Social Inequality
Moody, “Prologue: America as an aging society” (Reading #1)
Collins et al., “Inequality and aging: The creation of dependency” (Reading #2)
----See the final item in the readings packet for helpful reference material for the course:
Federal Interagency Forum on Aging, Older Americans 2000: Key Indicators of Well-Being
(Full report is available at www.agingstats.gov. Check this web site for information
concerning Older Americans 2004, to be available in November.)
AGING AND AGEISM
Sep. 2- Stereotypes and Ageism
Sep. 7
Sep. 2 Hockey & James, “Infantilization as social discourse” (Reading #3)
Sep. 7 Aitken & Griffin, “Ageism and sexism – discrimination in/of old age” (Reading #4)
Ragan & Bowen, “Improving attitudes regarding the elderly population (Reading #5)
Sep. 9- Understanding Ageism: The Social Constructionist Perspective
Sep. 14
Sep. 9 Gubrium & Holstein, “Constructionist perspectives on aging” (Reading #6)
Mehan & Wood, “The reality of ethnomethodology” (Reading #7)
Sep. 14 Scott, “Prestige as the public discourse of domination” (Reading #8)
Sep. 16- Exploring the Status of Older Persons Across Time and Space
Sep. 21
Sep. 16
Achenbaum, “The universals of old age in American history”; “Old age becomes
a national problem” (Reading #9)
Sep. 21 Sokolovsky, “Starting points: A global, cross-cultural view of aging” (Reading #10)
Chappell, “Correcting cross-cultural stereotypes: Aging in Shanghai and Canada”
(Reading #11)
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POWER DYNAMICS: INTERPERSONAL & SOCIETAL
Sep. 23Intergenerational power dynamics; exchange theory
Sep. 28
Sep. 23 No new readings
***Essay set #1 due***
Sep. 28
Klein & White, “The exchange framework” (Reading #12)
Dowd, “Social exchange, class, and old people” (Reading #13)
Sep. 30 Elder abuse
Baron & Welty, “Elder abuse” (Reading #14)
Seaver, “Muted lives: Older battered women” (Reading #15)
Oct. 5-7
Power dynamics at the societal level
Oct. 5 Day, “Old-age interest groups in the 1990s” (Reading #16)
Wallace et al., “A lamb in wolf’s clothing? The reality of senior power and social
policy” (Reading #17)
Oct. 7 Rosenbaum & Button, “The unquiet future of intergenerational politics” (Reading #18)
Minkler, “Gold in gray: Reflections on business’ discovery of the elderly market” (Reading #19)
OLD-AGE RESOURCES & THE ROLE OF SOCIAL POLICIES
Oct. 12 Political Economy Theory
Oct. 14
Oct. 12
Estes, “The new political economy of aging: Introduction and critique” (Reading #20)
Oct. 14 Zelkovitz, “Transforming the ‘middle way’: A political economy of aging policy in
Sweden” (Reading #21)
Oct. 19Maintain It, Change It, or Get Rid of It? Controversies Over Social Security
Oct. 21
Oct. 19 Hendricks et al., “Entitlements, social compacts, and the trend toward retrenchment in
U.S. old-age policies” (Reading #22)
Oct. 21 Moody, “What is the future for Social Security?” (Reading #23)
Aaron, “Should a portion of Social Security funds be invested in the stock market”?
(Reading #24)
Burtless, “Private accounts: Putting retirement at risk” (Reading #25)
Oct. 26- Are Nursing Homes “Trouble”? Controversies Over Long-Term Care
Oct. 28
Oct. 26 Kayser-Jones, “The experience of dying: An ethnographic nursing home study” (Reading # 26)
Harrington, “The nursing home industry: The failure of reform efforts” (Reading #27)
Oct. 28 No new readings
***Essay set #2 due***
[Nov. 2 National election day – no class]
Nov. 4- Family Caregiving, Social Policies, & Gender Justice
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Nov. 9
Nov. 4 Bull & McShane, “Needs and supports for family caregivers of chronically ill elders”
(Reading #28)
Chadiha et al., “Stories told and lessons learned from African American female caregivers’
vignettes for empowerment practice” (Reading #29)
Nov. 9 Close et al., “The political economy of health work” (Reading #30)
Parrott, “Changing family demographics, caregiving demands, and the policy environment”
(Reading #31)
Nov. 11-Too Old for Health Care? The Controversy Over Rationing Health Care
Nov. 16
Nov. 11 Moody, “Should we ration health care for older people?” (Reading #32)
Callahan, “Why we must set limits” (Reading #33)
Nov. 16
Hentoff, “The Pied Piper returns for the old folks” (Reading #34)
Wetle & Besdine, “Letting individuals decide” (Reading #35)
Cassel & Neugarten, “The goals of medicine in an aging society” (Reading #36)
Nov. 18- By Any Other Name, is it Still Killing? Euthanasia; Right to Die
Nov. 23
Nov. 18 Moody, “Should people have the choice to end their lives?”(Reading #37)
Drought & Koenig, “‘Choice’ in end-of-life decision making: Researching fact or fiction?
(Reading #38)
Nov. 23
McKhann, “A time to die: The place for physician assistance” (Reading #39)
Woodman, “Last rights: Aunty’s story” (Reading #40)
Kass, “Neither for love nor money: Why doctors must not kill” (Reading #41)
Anthony Glascock, “When is killing acceptable: The moral dilemma surrounding assisted
suicide in America and other societies” (Reading #42)
PROJECT PRESENTATIONS
Nov. 30 Project Presentations
Dec. 2
Project Presentations
Dec. 7
Project Presentations
Dec. 9
Project Presentations
-------Dec. 12 Final written work (final essay and project paper) due at my office, 1569 Patterson Office Tower, by 2:00
p.m.
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