HD 536 - Engaged Aging: Developmental and Societal Issues

3 Credit(s)

Engaging with aging is part of a personal journey that intersects with society's systems. These junctures provide opportunities for growth and constraints to an individual's development and aging process. Changes on a macro level affect all aspects of human development, the elder years being no exception. Impacted by allocation of resources, health and medical issues, financial uncertainty, and constantly changing technology elders in our society are challenged to lead relevant and purposeful lives. The elder years also are a time of exposure to a confluence of ageism and other societal biases and isms. Often dismissed as empty and meaningless by our youth-oriented society, the later stages potentially provide a rich opportunity for growth for elders. Additionally, legacy and life review are two vital developmental aspects of aging that are potentially sources of contributions for society. Taking a developmental approach to aging and death/dying provides a structure to study these tasks. This class uses several theoretical approaches to examine aging, death and dying in today's society. There is an action plan component. This class provides information for students who envision working with elders, interacting with aging parents, and for individual reflection.

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