5.5: Lecture Outline for Part IV

Minority Studies: A Brief Text: Suggested Lecture Material for Part IV—Aging

1. Identify and differentiate among various groups of the elderly.
   1. Young-old
   2. Old
   3. Old-old
   4. Oldest-old
2. Identify and discuss the cohort effect
   1. Have students discuss the various shared memories, technologies, music, clothing styles, etc. from the Depression Kids through the Millennial Generation
3. Discuss the aging process.
   1. Biological aging
   2. Social aging
4. Identify and discuss social attitudes toward the elderly.
   1. Age-appropriate roles
   2. Age-appropriate behavior
      1. Clothing
      2. Activity levels
      3. Sexuality
         1. STDs and the elderly
   3. Health and illness
      1. Ability of the elderly to care for themselves and others
      2. Drug abuse and alcoholism
      3. Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
      4. Nursing homes
   4. The portrayal of the elderly in popular media
5. Use the Internet to find and display statistical information concerning aging and the elderly.
6. Use the Internet to find and display statistical information concerning the current legal status of the elderly in the United States.
7. Use the Internet to find and display statistical information concerning the historical legal status of the elderly in the United States.
8. Discuss ageism and the forms that it takes in the US.
9. Use the Internet to find and display information about anti-ageist political and social groups
   1. The AARP
   2. The Grey Panthers
   3. Others
10. Identify and discuss theories of aging.
    1. Conflict theories of aging
    2. Functionalist theories of aging
    3. Symbolic interactionist theories of aging
11. Discuss Social Security and Medicare
12. Discuss theories of death and dying
13. Discuss euthanasia from social, political, and legal perspectives.
    1. Use the Internet to find and display information about euthanasia