GRNT/SOCY 2100-090
AGING AND THE LIFE COURSE
Tuesday from 5:00-7:45 in Fretwell 206
Instructor: Dr. Cynthia Hancock
Office: Fretwell 460-F
Office Hours: Tuesday 11-12 & 2-4 / Thursday 11-12 / or by appt.
SPRING 2010
Email: chancock@uncc.edu
(email is the best way to reach me)
Phone: 704-687-4080
COURSE DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVES: This course is an introduction to the study of aging across the life
course. We will learn about concepts related to and controversies surrounding the process of aging in
contemporary U.S. culture. Students who successfully complete this course will be able to understand and
use basic concepts related to aging and the life course; understand and apply multiple theories of aging and
know how they work together; understand the role changing demographics have in our aging experience;
understand how social policies affect us as we age; and understand the challenges of living with dementia.
All of this will be achieved through assigned readings, classroom discussion, films, and service learning.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS (bring this to class):
• MOODY, Harry R. (2010). Aging Concepts and Controversies. 6th Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge.
• MOODLE is active for this course.
REQUIRED SUPPLIES:
• Access to a laptop to take to the service learning site. Atkins Library has some for check-out.
• The ability to print approximately one dozen color 8x10 digital pictures
• Blank CDRs
COURSE PROCEDURES AND REQUIREMENTS
ALL of the assigned readings are important and it is expected that you will read them before coming to class.
Class time will be devoted to and exams will come from lectures, discussions, assignments, exercises, presentations,
and sometimes films. You will be expected to be able to apply what you have read in the text to what we discuss in
class. I typically teach with outlines. You should utilize these as a study guide. Outlines will not be posted to
MOODLE. If you read the assignments, come to class, pay attention, take notes, and are positively engaged, you
will do well.
EXAMS: There will be three exams including the final. They will be worth 20 points each and may include multiple
choice and short answer questions. Make-up exams will only be given in the case of a documented death in
the immediate family or extreme illness on your part (doctor’s note required). Arrangements for a make-up
must be made PRIOR to the exam or a zero will be given for the exam. Make-ups must be completed
before returning to class.
STUDENT LED DISCUSSIONS: Each student will sign up to work with 3 other students in order to facilitate a
discussion of the readings related to one of ten controversies in Moody. If you are absent on the day
your group leads, you will receive a zero for your part – no exceptions. This will reduce your final grade by
one letter grade. Once groups are selected, they cannot be changed. The requirements are listed below.
This is worth 10% of your grade (10 points).
PARTICIPATION AND ATTENDANCE: Students are expected to punctually attend class and participate in
class discussions, activities, etc. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of every class and break. Those
who are regularly present (not missing more than three attendance periods) and contribute positively will
earn 10 points. Those who are not present and/or do not contribute positively will earn something less
than 10 points. If you anticipate needing to be absent, save your absences. “Excused” absences (beyond
three) are rare. Repeated tardiness will lower participation grade. Participation is 10% of your final grade
(10 points).
SERVICE LEARNING: Each student will participate in a minimum of 10 hours of service learning related to aging
and the life course. This will involve off-campus visits to an assisted living facility where residents are
living with Alzheimer’s or other sources of dementia. Students will have the opportunity to work in pairs or
alone for some aspects of this project, however personal reflection papers will be written alone. This will
be explained in greater detail below and in class. This is worth 20% of your final grade (20 points).
CLASSROOM DECORUM: The University has several policies and procedures aimed at making each classroom a
positive learning environment for all of us. These include but are not limited to:
•
The use of cell phones, beepers, or other communication devices is disruptive, and is therefore prohibited
during class. Except in emergencies, those using such devices must leave the classroom for the remainder
of the class period (Policy Statement 104 10.s).
•
All students are required to read and abide by the Code of Student Academic Integrity. Violations of the
Code of Student Academic Integrity, including plagiarism, will result in disciplinary action as provided in the
Code. Definitions and examples of plagiarism are set forth in the Code. The Code is available from the Dean
of Students Office or online at: http://www.legal.uncc.edu/policies/ps-105.html.
•
Students are expected to attend punctually all scheduled sessions in the courses for which they are
registered and are responsible for completing the work from all class sessions (Undergraduate Catalog).
•
The following conduct, or an attempt to engage in the following conduct, is subject to disciplinary
action…interfering with normal University activities including, but not limited to teaching, studying,
research, the expression of ideas… (Policy Statement 104 10.d).
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING FOR SUCCESS IN THIS CLASS:
1. Those using any electronic devices, including laptops for anything other than course note taking, during
class may be asked to leave. See first bullet above.
2. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated! See second bullet above.
3. Do not arrive late or depart early unless it is an emergency – it is disruptive and disrespectful to everyone
when you do so. If the classroom door is closed, you should assume that you are late and class has begun.
If you must come in after the door is closed please do so with little disruption. If you must leave early,
please inform Dr. Hancock ahead of time and sit close to the door. Late arrivals and early departures may
not be counted as full attendance. If you have a regularly occurring exceptional situation, please let Dr.
Hancock know. I am very happy to work with exceptional situations. See third and fourth bullet above.
4. Please feel free to take advantage of my office hours and make appointments if necessary. I am available
and happy to meet with you if you need me. Other than office hours, the best way to reach me is via email.
5. There will be no individual extra credit work. It is important to talk with me throughout the semester
regarding your concerns so that you can successfully complete all of the required work.
6. Incompletes are unacceptable except for documented emergency related situations. UNCC policy states
that you must be passing the class at the time of requesting the incomplete.
7. Only with rare exception do I accept late work of any kind. Work is late if it is NOT turned in before or on
the due date by class time via the required means. In most cases a note from the Dean of Students
documenting your extenuating circumstances will be required. Plan ahead and well.
8. yourname@UNCC.edu email is an approved official means of communication between the University and
students. I may, on occasion, contact individual students or the whole class via UNCC email. It is your
responsibility to regularly check your UNCC email and be aware of its contents.
GRADING: Your final grade will be a result of your performance on your three exams (60 points), student led
discussion (10 points), service learning project (20 points) and attendance/participation (10 points). The
following grading scale will be used. Students should not expect grades to be curved in any way.
A = 100 to 90
B = 89.9 to 80
C = 79.9 to 70
D = 69.9 to 60
F = Below 60
TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE
“Tentative” indicates that this is subject to slight changes as the semester evolves.
However, student led discussions will be on the stated day.
DATE:
TOPIC
READING ASSIGNMENTS:
January 12
Course Introductions
America as an Aging Society
Syllabus
Moody pp. xxi-xxix
January 19
Basic Concepts I: A Life Course Perspective on Aging
Film: Living Longer Aging Well (29 minutes)
Sign up for Student Presentations & meet your group this day
Moody pp. 1-26
** January 26
In-class Service Learning Training & Site sign-ups
* SL PowerPoint on MOODLE
DUE: BIO-CARD in class
** You must be present this class because you cannot complete the service learning requirements
without this three hour required training. **
February 2
Alzheimer’s Disease
* MOODLE readings
Film: selections from The Alzheimer’s Project by HBO Productions
DUE: HUMAN SUBJECTS TUTORIAL CONFIRMATION email to grnt2100sl@uncc.edu
February 9
Controversy 1: Does Old Age Have Meaning?
Biological Theories of Aging
Film: Immortality (14 minutes)
DUE: SLP PRE-REFLECTION PAPER via email
1ST SLP RECORD OF SITE VISITS (1 hour at-site training) in class
Moody pp. 27-51
PowerPoint on MOODLE
February 16
Controversy 2: Why Do Our Bodies Grow Old?
Controversy 3: Does Intellectual Functioning Decline with Age?
Moody pp. 53-91
Moody pp. 93-128
February 23
EXAM I – Students who arrive late may not be permitted to take the exam.
DUE:
2ND SLP RECORD OF SITE VISIT (3 total hours) in class
March 2
Basic Concepts II: Aging, Healthcare and Society
March 9
SPRING BREAK 
March 16
Controversy 4: Should We Ration Healthcare for Older People?
Controversy 5: Should Families Provide for their Own?
DUE:
3rd SLP RECORD OF SITE VISIT (5 total hours) in class
Moody pp. 163-193
Moody pp. 195-228
March 23
Controversy 6: Should Older People be Protected from Bad Choices?
Controversy 7: Should People Have the Choice to End their Lives?
Moody pp. 229-256
Moody 257-286
Moody pp. 129-161
March 30
EXAM II – Students who arrive late may not be permitted to take the exam
DUE: LAST DATE TO GIVE SHANNON PHOTOGRAPHS FOR LAMINATING
April 6
Basic Concepts III: Social and Economic Outlook for an Aging Society
DUE: 4TH SLP RECORD OF SITE VISIT (8 total hours) in class
Moody pp. 287-317
April 13
Controversy 8: Should Age or Need be the Basis of Entitlement?
Controversy 9: What is the Future for Social Security?
Moody pp. 319-356
Moody pp. 357-390
April 20
Controversy 10: Is Retirement Obsolete?
Controversy 11: Aging Boomers Boom or Bust?
Moody pp. 391-428
Moody pp. 429-447
April 27
SLP Student Presentations
DUE:
5TH SLP RECORD OF SITE VISIT (10 total hours) in class
POST-REFLECTION PAPER via email
ALL PHOTO-RING/RECORDED CONVERSATION REQUIREMENTS some via
email and some in class – see detailed SL instructions in training packet.
SLP Student Presentations finished
Film: Andrew Jenks Room 335 (88 minutes)
May 4
May 11
FINAL EXAM – Students who arrive late may not be permitted to take the exam.
5:00-6:30 (note adjusted end-time)
PLEASE NOTE:
•
Read all assignments before coming to class – particularly the controversy readings.
•
Bring your book to class each evening.
•
Pay careful attention to all due dates. With rare exception will late items receive credit.
•
Documents must be turned in via the requested format. If “in class” hand to Dr. Hancock on the due date
in class. If “via email” send to grnt2100sl@uncc.edu. Do NOT send any service learning requirements to
Dr. Hancock’s UNCC email. Improperly turned in items will receive zero credit.
•
Student groups which are presenting their controversy should arrive early enough to be prepared to begin
when class begins. If you are unsure of the equipment in the room, arrive even earlier or check with Dr.
Hancock during the previous class for equipment guidance. Be prepared and ready to impress us!
•
Web reading assignments are listed below:
* SERVICE LEARNING (SL) TRAINING POWERPOINT *
1.
Available on the course MOODLE site.
2. Be sure to print, read, and bring a copy with you to the MANDATORY in-class training.
UNCC’S HUMAN SUBJECTS ON-LINE TUTORIAL
1.
The tutorial is available at: https://www.citiprogram.org/. There is a link on MOODLE.
2. Follow the detailed instructions available at posted to the course MOODLE site.
3. Forward your COMPLETION REPORT to GRNT2100SL@UNCC.EDU with your LAST NAME and HST in the
SUBJECT LINE
4. If you have taken the new Social and Behavioral tutorial within the last year and can provide a Completion
Report to verify the date and grade, you may be exempt from retaking it. You must check with Dr.
Hancock on this.
* ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE WEB INFORMATION *
Read through all of the following information before class. These links are also available on MOODLE.
1.
What is Alzheimer’s Disease: www.alz.org/AboutAD/WhatIsAD.asp
2. 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease: www.alz.org/AboutAD/Warning.asp
3. Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease: www.alz.org/AboutAD/Stages.asp
GUIDELINES FOR STUDENT LED DISCUSSIONS
Groups of 3-4 students will be responsible for facilitating a discussion of all of the readings related to one
controversy as outlined in Moody. You will need to meet with your group AHEAD of time to discuss the articles and
plan your presentation/discussion. In class your presentation/discussion should take NO MORE than 30 minutes -20 minutes of presentation and 10 minutes of class discussion/participation. This assignment is worth 10% of your
final grade. For full credit you must address each of the following:
1. Who are the authors and how do they know what they know? This should be brief but informative.
2. What does each article individually add to the controversy under discussion? In other words, what is the
main point of each individual article? Don’t go overboard on details, your peers have read this.
3. What concepts and theories related to aging and the life course are addressed within the articles and how
do they work together to enlighten our understanding of aging and the life course?
4. How do the articles relate to class material discussed so far and/or your service learning experience?
5. Together, do the articles debunk any myths about aging in general and/or your topic in particular?
6. Based upon your reading of these articles, what questions for new research does your group have?
7. Use a visual aid of some sort – projected visuals, movie or YouTube clips, a skit, “show and tell,” or
something else creative.
8. Facilitate 10 minutes of class discussion surrounding your controversy. This is a controversy so you must
get the class involved in the topic at hand. Be creative and engaging! Avoid repeating what your peers have
done.
9. Evaluate yourself and each of your group members. This is due in class with the presentation. See below.
Each member of your group will be asked to evaluate the other members on their overall contribution to the group
effort using the evaluation form on MOODLE. This evaluation is due in class at the time of the presentation.
Group members’ evaluations will be taken into account in determining individual grades. Groups members will
evaluate each other with a 0, 1, or 2 on:
• Cooperation with the group
• Knowledge and preparedness
• Presence/absence for group planning/work
• Contributions to overall effort
PLEASE NOTE:
You will be graded on creativity and an ability to critically reflect upon the material, stimulate class interest, and
lead a discussion in the topic at hand so be engaging and informative. If your group uses PowerPoint please supply a
print-out of your slides to Dr. Hancock at the start of your presentation. PowerPoints must use: at least 25 point
font; approximately 6 bullet points per slide; approximately 6 words per bullet point; DO NOT READ YOUR
SLIDES TO US. We can read, add your commentary. If you have jammed your slides full of copied information or
you are reading your slides, it is a clue you do not fully understand the material.
DO NOT DIVIDE THE READINGS AMONG INDIVIDUALS IN THE GROUP. THIS WILL NOT PROVIDE A
COHESIVE FACILITATION OF THE MATERIAL AND WILL RESULT IN A POOR GRADE. Every person in your
group needs to have an understanding of every reading and should be able to answer questions from the class or
instructor related to each article. The above bullets are designed to help you integrate the readings. Part of your
assignment requires that each group (or a representative from your group) meet with me at least one class period
prior to your presentation to discuss your presentation plans.
If you are absent the day your group presents, you will receive a zero for your grade on this project. This will drop
your final grade by one full letter grade. If you anticipate a group member will not pull their fair share, be
prepared to lead the discussion anyway and evaluate them accordingly. Groups which overwhelmingly evaluate a
member negatively will result in that group member earning a zero for this assignment.
BRIEF OVERVIEW OF SERVICE LEARNING OPPORTUNITY
(details will be shared in the in-class training and are available on our course MOODLE site)
•
This semester students may have an opportunity to work in pairs to create a photo-ring in conjunction with
recorded conversations or work alone to record a conversation without a photo-ring. If you are very
uncomfortable with technology or do not have transportation, you should pair up for the photo-ring option with
a student who isn’t/does. If you like to work alone, feel free to do the non-photo-ring service learning option.
Either way, each individual student will record, transcribe, and evaluate a conversation with an older adult. The
photo-ring partners will simply have an opportunity to use photographs as a conversation tool.
•
Students will select one of our partnering service learning sites and spend 10 hours at the site visiting with
older adults living with dementia. These residents will be in widely varying stages of dementia.
•
Students will select one resident with whom to spend the majority of their time as their conversation partner.
Photo-ring students will work in pairs with one conversation partner. Your Conversation Partner MUST have
informed consent to participate in this service learning. Students MUST check with the facility staff to
verify consent has been obtained but are not expected to obtain that consent.
•
Students will spend time having conversations with their resident conversation partner. Students working in
pairs will record conversations while creating a photo-ring. Students working alone will record a conversation
without the photo-ring.
•
Students will receive detailed training in class about how to engage in these conversations and about how to
engage in research with older adults with dementia. We have three different “communication interventions”
you will learn and practice before visiting the site. You will also work through the UNCC Human Subjects
Tutorial. Mark your calendar now for this mandatory in class training.
•
Students will also attend a one hour orientation at their site of choice to become familiar with the site,
procedures, residents, and staff. This will be a group orientation and will count towards your 10 hours. The
dates and times of the orientations will be provided and are available on Dr. Hancock’s website. You must
attend one of the pre-scheduled at-site orientation sessions. Make-up sessions will not be scheduled.
You do not need to attend this orientation with your student partner.
•
Students will spend nine more hours visiting with their conversation partner. After each of your conversational
visits you will complete a form (provided at the class training) detailing your experience.
•
Student pairs will create a photo-ring with their conversation partner and record the conversations that take
place during the process. Photographs will be laminated (for free) by the Gerontology Program. Each student
will transcribe and evaluate an audio conversation. All digital photograph and digital audio equipment will be
provided by the Gerontology Program and will be available at the Service Learning Sites.
•
All students are required to write their own individual pre-reflection and post-reflection paper. More details
will be given in the class training.
•
Each student will present his/her SL experience to the class. Students must complete at least 50% of the
service learning requirements (excluding the post reflection paper) to earn SL presentation points.
•
There are multiple and specific requirements due throughout the semester. Each requirement will be explained
at the trainings. The due dates are listed in the course outline above. Late work is not accepted.
SOCY/GRNT 2100 BIO-CARD
PLEASE WRITE THE FOLLOWING ON THE FRONT (ONLY) OF A 5X8 INDEX CARD
Name:
My Photograph:
Preferred Name:
Age(ish):
Year in School:
Other Gerontology classes taken:
Other Sociology Classes taken:
Major(s):
Minor(s):
Do you have any work experience related to the field of aging?
What interests you most about studying aging?
PLEASE KEEP THE BACK OF YOUR CARD BLANK FOR INSTRUCTOR PURPOSES