| CODE | GER5030 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Sociology of Ageing and Later Life | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Gerontology and Dementia Studies | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The twentieth century saw a revolution in longevity. Globally the proportion of persons aged to and above is expected to double from 10 to 21 percent by 2050 whereas the proportion of children is projected to drop by a third from 30 to 21 per cent. Such a global demographic transformation has profound consequences for every aspect of individual, community, national and international life. Every facet of humanity will evolve: social, economic, political, cultural, psychological and spiritual. It is only towards the last part of the twentieth century that Western societies have started examining in detail the influence of economic, psychological and social factors on the process of ageing and extended the study of older persons. In the past quarter century, the emphasis has changed and we now tend to include the framework of Social Gerontology which investigates the impact of ageing on society and the impact of society on older persons. This study-unit enables the participants to appreciate the value of using a sociological perspective when examining the ageing process. The promotion and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to development, is essential for the creation of an inclusive society for all ages in which older persons participate fully and without discrimination and on the basis of equality. Study-unit Aims: This study-unit aims at instilling a sociological imagination towards the study of later life. It includes a number of objectives. First, particular emphasis is put on the number of social theories of ageing at the macro and micro levels which have emerged as being significant in modern times. These include among others the activity and disengagement theories, the political economy of ageing, and the labelling theory. A second objective is discuss the impact of industrialisation, modernisation and migration on society's values and attitudes towards older persons. Third the changing role of the traditional family and its effects on the place of older persons in the community. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - comprehend how societies are changing from a Welfare State to a Welfare Society model; - understand that the life course of older persons differs substantially according to their gender status; - recognise that older persons are to be seen as full participants in the development process of their country; - become aware that a society for all ages encompasses the goal of providing older persons with the opportunity to continue contributing; - recognise the social, cultural, economic and political contribution of older persons in modern society. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - engage in a comparative analysis of different sociological traditions related to the ageing process; - differentiate between the strengths and limitations of various theories of ageing; - illustrate how participation and engagement in later life should be the foundation of contemporary societies; - take into account the importance of the needs and concerns of older persons in decision-making processes at all levels. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main texts: - Harris, D.K. (1990). Sociology of aging. Harper & Row. - Matcha, D.A. (1997). The sociology of aging: A social problems perspective. Allyn & Bacon. Supplementary texts: - Bengston, V. (ed.) (2009). Handbook of theories of aging. New York: Springer. - Blieszner, R. and Bedford, V.H. (2012). Handbook of families and aging. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger. - Gilleard, C. and Higgs, P. (2000). Cultures of ageing: Self, citizen and the body. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. - Gilleard, C. and Higgs, P. (2005). Contexts of aging: Class, cohort and community. Cambridge: Polity. - Johnson, M.L. (ed.) (2005). The Cambridge handbook of age and ageing (pp. 156-165). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. - Phillipson, C. (2013). Ageing. London: Routledge. - Settersten, R.A. and Angel, J.L. (eds.) (2011). Handbook of sociology of aging. New York: Springer. |
||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Group Learning | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
|
||||||||
| LECTURER/S | Marvin Formosa |
||||||||
|
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 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
|||||||||