LECTURE NOTES
** All Chapters included
,Table of Contents are given below
1. The Growth of Social Gerontology
2. The Social Consequences of Physical Aging
3. Managing Chronic Diseases and Promoting Well-Being in Old Age
4. Cognitive Changes with Aging
5. Personality and Mental Health in Old Age
6. Love, Intimacy and Sexuality in Older Adulthood
7. Social Theories of Aging
8. Importance of Social Supports for Older Adults
9. Opportunities and Challenges of Family Caregiving
10. Living Arrangements and Social Interactions
11. Enhancing Older Adults’ Lives Through Technology
12. Productive Aging
13. Death, Dying, Bereavement and Widowhood
14. Risks to, and Resilience of, Older Adults of Color
15. Social Policies to Address Social Problems
16. Health and Long-Term Care Policy and Programs
, Chapter 1: The Growth of Social Gerontology
Chapter Overview
This chapter introduces the field of social gerontology, including these considerations:
• Definitions of and reasons for studying gerontology, social gerontology, and geriatrics
• Definitions of aging
• Examinations of ageism and related harms, as well as perspectives on reframing aging in
positive terms
• Introduction to the active and healthy aging framework and the concepts of resilience and
the life course
• Description of the person–environment perspective or competence model used
throughout this text
• Significant demographic trends in life expectancy, life span, and longevity in health
• Disadvantages and disparities across the life course that are caused by oppression on the
basis of people’s identities
• Research methods, designs, and samples for studying older adults
Chapter Outline
Introduction: The Growth of Social Gerontology
1.1: The Field of Gerontology
• Objective: Distinguish social gerontology from related disciplines and associated career
paths
1.1.1: Why Study Aging?
1.1.2: Careers in Aging
1.2: How Is Aging Defined?
• Objective: Define precise, appropriate, and respectful terminology for the scope and
characteristics of aging
1.2.1: Cohorts and Age Categories
1.2.2: Diversity and Terminology
1.3: Confronting Ageism
• Objective: Explain the consequences of ageism on individuals and society, and efforts to
combat them
1.3.1: What Is Ageism?
1.3.2: Ageism Intersects with Other Isms
1.3.3: Confronting Bias and Discrimination
, 1.4: An Active and Healthy Aging Framework
• Objective: Expand the active and healthy aging framework with respect to resilience and
life course
1.5: A Person-Environment Perspective on Social Gerontology
• Objective: Illustrate the person-environment perspective on understanding the quality of
older adults’ lives
1.5.1: Environmental Press
1.5.2: Environmental Interventions
1.6: Growth of the Older Population
• Objective: Demonstrate how longevity and distribution patterns underlie growth of the
older population
1.6.1: Changes in Life Expectancy
1.6.2: Maximum Life Span
1.6.3: Who Are the Oldest-Old?
1.6.4: Centenarians
1.6.5: Population Pyramid or Pillar?
1.6.6: Support Ratios
1.6.7: Longevity in Health or Disease
1.7: Population Diversity and Geographic Trends
• Objective: Analyze significant demographic trends as they relate to the older population
1.7.1: The Dramatic Growth in Diversity Among Older Adults
1.7.2: Geographic Distribution of Older Adults
1.7.3: Educational and Work Status
1.7.4: Impact of Demographic Trends
1.8: Resilience in Facing Disadvantage Over the Life Course
• Objective: Describe how structural resilience and historical disadvantage shape
experiences over the life course
1.8.1: Defining Resilience and Risks to Well-Being
1.8.2: Cumulative Advantage/Disadvantage
1.9: Drivers of Inequities
• Objective: Explain the systemic drivers of economic and health inequities among diverse
older adults
1.9.1: Systems of Oppression
1.9.2: Economic and Health Inequities Across Diverse Older Adults