| CODE | GDM3004 | |||||||||
| TITLE | Men, Masculinities, and Ageing: The Gendered Lives of Older Men | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Gerontology and Dementia Studies | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit is set up to familiarise undergraduate students with the importance of addressing gender dimensions in later life. Older adults are not a homogenous group and students who eventually will be working directly or indirectly with older adults need to acknowledge the importance of gender in later life. Older adults are not merely care receivers of social and health care services; they are contributors as well. This study-unit delves into issues which older men might or are likely to face such as their changing bodies and health as they age, the care of an ill spouse or partner, grand-fatherhood, dealing with retirement, intimacy and sexuality, becoming widowers and dealing with never ageing masculinity scripts to name a few. Study-Unit Aims: - instill awareness on various theories in relation to gender and older men, including gender and age relations, intersectionality theory, hegemonic and multiple masculinities in later life, caring and ageing masculinities; - analyse how older men are portrayed in media; - create awareness on men's changing bodies and health as they age, old manhood, how old men deal with never ageing masculinity scripts; - discuss the role of older men caregivers in the realm of spousal and partner care and grand-fatherhood; - familiarise the students with the different ways and strategies older men utilise to deal with retirement; - find out older men's views on sexuality and intimacy; - discuss older men's experiences as widowers. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - demonstrate a sound understanding of different theories in relation to older men and masculinities; - conduct critical self-reflection and question one's own assumptions, presupposition and perspectives about older men and their role in society particularly to how older men are portrayed in the media; - apply a gender sensitive approach and become aware of the differences and similarities in relation to older women and older men and between older men themselves; - appreciate the importance of adopting an intersectionality approach to understand the lives of older men and understand the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as age, gender, class, race, ethnicity, disability, religion and how these apply to a given individual or group. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - apply a gender sensitive approach when dealing with older adults when working directly such as through hands-on intervention or indirectly for example if involved in setting up policies; - advocate for a gender awareness and stress on the importance of addressing gendered dimensions in later life; - apply critical self-reflection when reading, writing and discussing issues in relation to issues pertaining to the gendered lives of older men but not solely to the latter as critical self-reflection may be applied in different contexts; - appreciate the importance of applying a gender and age relations framework and an intersectionality approach in his or her line of work to ensure that the diverse needs of older men and older women are being addressed. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Jackson, D. (2016). Exploring ageing masculinities: The body, sexuality and social lives. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK. (Available online at Library) Thompson, E. H. (2019). Men, masculinities and aging: The gendered lives of older men. Rowan & Littlefield. (Available at Library) |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Independent Study | |||||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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