Culture, Diversity, and Aging
Fall 2003
Gerontology 693 and PUBH 691
Class Time: Monday 1:00pm-3:50pm
Instructor: Bei Wu, Ph.D.
Office: Health Sciences Annex
Phone: 293-5206
Email: bwu@hsc.wvu.edu
Hours: Monday 4:00-5:00 and by appointment
Course Description: This course will use a multidisciplinary approach to examine the impact of race/ethnicity, gender, social class and culture on aging, the aging population, and individual experiences of aging. Particular attention will be directed towards understanding the importance of cultural characteristics, health care issues, historical experience, demographic characteristics, life course perspectives, and socioeconomic inequality in shaping diverse later life experiences.
Course format: lectures, discussion, and group activities
Course objectives:
1. Evaluate methodological issues related to minority aging research
2. Define a research question and use appropriate data and/or statistical methods to present findings
3. Evaluate theory, policy, concepts, and trends related to diversity and aging
4. Describe gender differences associated with aging, health, social support, employment, income, and care giving
5. Develop expertise in a topic of particular interest to the student that involves ethnic minority elders and other diverse elderly groups
At the completion of this course students will be able to:
Course requirements:
1. Class Attendance: Class attendance is required. Students are allowed one absence for: illness, funerals, religious reasons or mental health holidays. No more than one absence is allowed unless under special circumstances which should be approved by the instructor. Students are responsible for their missed work. If more than one absence occurs, a 10 point reduction in overall grade points will be applied for each missed class. Late arrivals and early departures are considered acceptable only for special circumstances which have been approved by the instructor.
2. Class Participation
Students are required to read all materials and participate in class discussions and activities. Grade based on: active involvement (20 points), and content (20 points). Total score: 40 points.
3. Class Discussions
After week one, students will be responsible for leading class discussions. Students are required to review three papers from the reading assignments and lead class discussion. The review will include a brief summary of the papers, and a critique of content and structure. Students are required to turn in a one-page summary for each paper each Friday before the due day (Monday) in order for the instructor to make copies and distribute to the class. Grade based on: performance as a facilitator (30 points), summary paper (50 points). Total score: 80 points.
4. Take-home Exam
Questions for the take-home exam will be handed out in class and will be due the next class meeting. The answers should reflect your knowledge and understanding of the issues. Your own thinking of the issues raised is strongly encouraged. Total score: 80 points.
5. Final Paper
The paper will involve research on a topic of your choice which is related to some aspects of elderly life among African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans, American Indians, European Americans, or Appalachians. The topic of the final paper should be approved in advance by the instructor. The paper should use size 12 Times New Roman font, and exactly 1-inch margins. Use APA style for the paper. For assistance with APA format see: www.webster.commnet.edu/apa/apa_index.htm. Total score: 100 points.
All written assignments should be typed and carefully proofread. These assignments will be evaluated according to the following criteria: content (50%), creativity and originality of approach and ideas (30%), and grammar (20%). For the final paper, the criteria content includes the topic that is selected (10%), knowledge of the topic (30%), and references (10%).
Grading:
Class participation 40 points
Class discussions 80 points
Take-home exam 80 points
Final paper 100 points
A 90-100% 270-300 points
B 80-89% 240-269 points
C 70-79% 210-239 points
D 60-69% 180-209 points
F <60% <180 points
Social Justice[1]
West Virginia is committed to social justice. I concur with that commitment and expect to foster a nurturing learning environment based upon open communication, mutual respect, and non-discrimination. Our University does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, age, disability, veteran status, religion, sexual orientation, color or national origin. Any suggestions as to how to further such a positive and open environment in this class will be appreciated and given serious consideration. If you are a person with a disability and anticipate needing any type of accommodation in order to participate in this class, please advise me and make appropriate arrangements with Disability Services (293-6700).
Academic Integrity/Dishonesty[2]
Academic dishonesty is defined to include, but is not limited to, any of the following:
1. Plagiarism: Plagiarism is defined in terms of proscribed acts. Students are expected to
understand that such practices constitute academic dishonesty regardless of motive. Those who deny deceitful intent, claim not to have known that the act constituted plagiarism, or maintain that what they did was inadvertent are nevertheless subject to penalties when plagiarism has been confirmed. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the following:
a. Submitting as one’s own work the product of someone else’s research, writing, artistic conception, invention, or design; that is, submitting as one’s own work any report, notebook, speech, outline, theme, thesis, dissertation, commercially prepared paper, musical piece or other written, visual, oral or electronic/ computerized material that has been copied in whole or in part from the work of others, whether such source is published or unpublished
b. Incorporating in one’s submission, without appropriate acknowledgment and attribution, portions of the works of others; that is, failing to use the conventional marks and symbols to acknowledge the use of verbatim and near-verbatim passages of someone else’s work or failing to name the source of words, pictures, graphs, etc., other than one’s own, that are incorporated into any work submitted as one’s own.
2. Cheating and dishonest practices in connection with examinations, papers, and projects including, but not limited to:
a. Obtaining help from another student during examinations
b. Knowingly giving help to another student during examinations, taking an examination or doing academic work for another student, or providing one’s own work for another student to copy and submit as his/her own
c. The unauthorized use of notes, books, or other sources of information during examinations
d. Obtaining without authorization an examination or any part thereof
3. Forgery, misrepresentation, or fraud:
a. Forging or altering, or causing to be altered, the record of any grade in a grade book or other educational record
b. Use of university documents or instruments of identification with intent to defraud.
c. Presenting false data or intentionally misrepresenting one’s records for admission, registration, or withdrawal from the university or from a university course.
Course Outline
(Subject to Change)
August 18 Introduction and overview of course
August 25 Aging of diverse populations
Elo, I. T. and Preston, S. H. (1997). Racial and ethnic differences in mortality at older ages. Pp. 10-42 in L. G. Martin and B. J. Soldo (Eds.), Racial and ethnic differences in the health of older Americans. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Available online at: http://www.nap.edu/catalog/5237.html
Lauderdale, D. S. and Kestenbaum, B. (2002). Mortality rates of elderly Asian American populations based on Medicare and Social Security data. Demography, 3, 529-540.
Rogers, A. and Raymer, J. (1999). The regional demographics of the elderly foreign-born and native-born populations in the United States since 1950. Research on Aging, 21, 3-35.
Siegel, J. S. (1999). Demographic introduction to racial/Hispanic elderly populations. Pp. 1-19 in T. Miles (Ed.), Full-Color Aging: Facts, Goals, and Recommendations for America’s Diverse Elders. Washington DC: Gerontological Society of America.
September 1 Labor Day, No class
September 8 Methodological Issues
Burton, L. M., Dilworth-Anderson, P., and Bengtson, V. L. (1991). Creating culturally relevant ways of thinking about diversity and aging: Theoretical challenges for the twenty-first century. Generations, 15, 67-72.
Dannefer, D. (1988). What’s in a name? An account of the neglect of variability in the study of aging. In J. E. Birren & V. L. Bengtson (Eds.), Emergent theories of aging (pp. 356-384). New York: Springer.
Gibson, R. C. (1989). Minority aging research: Opportunity and challenge. Journal of Gerontology: Social Science, 44(1), S2-S3.
Markides, K. S. & Mindel, C. H. (1987). Aging and ethnicity. Chapter 2: Theoretical perspectives and methodological issues (pp. 24-45). Newbury Park: Sage.
September 15 Gender, Race, and Class: Life Course Accumulation and Transitions
Dressel, P.L. (1998). Gender, race, and class: Beyond the feminization of poverty in later life. The Gerontologist, 28(2), 177-180.
Moen, P. (1996). Gender, age, and the life course. Pp. 171-187 in R. H. Binstock and L. K. George (Eds.), Handook of Aging and the Social Sciences (4th edition). New York: Academic Press.
O’Rand, A. (1996). The precious and the precocious: Understanding cumulative disadvantage and cumulative advantage over the life course. The Gerontologist, 36, 230-238.
Settersten, R. A., Jr. (1999). Lives in Time and Place. Chapter 1: The study of lives: Emerging propositions and controversies. (pp. 5-64). Amityville, NY: Baywood.
September 22 Socioeconomic status and income security
Hendley, A. A. and Bilimoria, N. F. (1999). Minorities and Social Security: An analysis of racial and ethnic differences in the current program. Social Security Bulletin, 62(2): 59-64.
Robert, S. A. and Lee, K. Y. (2002). Explaining race differences in health among older adults: The contribution of community socioeconomic context. Research on Aging, 24, 654-683.
Smith, J. (1997). Wealth inequality among older Americans. Journal of Gerontology, 52B (Special Issues on AHEAD), 74-81.
Willson, A. E. and Hardy, M. A. (2002). Racial disparities in income security for a cohort of aging American women. Social Forces, 80, 1283-1306.
September 29 Family and social support
Burr, J. A. & Mutchler, J. E. (1999). Racial and ethnic variation in norms of filial responsibility among older persons. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 61, 674-687.
Chatters, L. M., Taylor, R. J., and Joyakody, R. (1994). Fictive kin relations in black extended families. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 25, 297-312.
Himes, C. L., Hogan, D. P., and Eggebeen, D. J. (1996). Living arrangements of minority elders. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 51B, S42-48.
John, R., Resendiz, R. and DeVargas, L. W. (1997). Beyond familism?: Familism as explicit motive for eldercare among Mexican American caregivers. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology, 12, 145-162.
Lubben, J. E., & Becerra, R. M. (1987). Social support among Black, Mexican, and Chinese elderly. In D. E. Gelfand, & C. M. Barresi (Eds.) Ethnicity Dimensions of Aging (pp.130-144). Springer Publishing Company.
October 6 Caregiving
Moen, P., Robinson, J., & Fields, V. (1994). Women’s work and caregiving roles: A life course approach. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 49(4), S176-186.
Aranda, M. P., & Knight, B. G. (1997). The influence of ethnicity and culture on the caregiver stress and coping process: A sociocultural review and analysis. The Gerontologist, 37(3), 342-354.
Burton, L., Kasper, J., Shore, A., Cagney, K., Laveist, T., Cubbin, C., & German, P. (1995). The structure of informal care: Are there differences by race? The Gerontologist, 35(6). 744-751.
Goodman, C. C. (1990). The caregiving roles of Asian American women. Journal of Women & Aging, 2(1). 109-121.
Mintzer, J. E., Rubert, M. P., Loewenstein, D., Gamez, E., Millor, A., Quinteros, R., Flores, L., Miller, M., Rainerman, A., & Eisdorfer, C. (1992). Daughters caregiving for Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Alzheimer patients: Does ethnicity make a difference? Community Mental Health Journal, 28(4). 293-303.
October 13 Culture, Health, and Health Practices (part I): Physical Health
Schoenbaum, M. & Waidmann, T. (1997). Race, socioeconomic status, and health: Accounting for race differences in health. Journal of Gerontology: Special Issue, 52B, 61-73.
Holmes, E. R. & Holmes, L.D. (1995). Other Cultures, Elder Years (2nd edition). Chapter 8: Applying anthropology: Culture, health, and aging (pp226-250). Sage Publications. CA, Thousand Oaks.
Rowles, G. (1991). Changing health culture in rural Appalachia: Implications for serving the elderly. Journal of Aging Studies, 5.
Hopper, S. V. (1993). The influence of ethnicity on the health of older women. Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, 9(1). 231-259
October 20 Culture, Health, and Health Practices (part II): Mental Health and Aging
Gaines, A.D. (1989). Alzheimer's disease in the context of black (Southern) culture. Health Matrix, 6(4), 33-38.
Fellin, P. A., Powell, T. J. (1988). Mental health services and older adult minorities: An assessment. The Gerontologist, 28(4), 442-447 (from my literature)
Hendeson, J. N. (1990). Alzheimer’s disease in cultural context. In J. Sokolovsky (Ed.) The Cultural Context of Aging: Worldwide Perspectives (pp.315-329). Bergin & Garvey Publishers. New York.
Herrick, C. A., Brown, H. N. (1997). Underutilization of mental health services by Asian-Americans residing in the United States. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 19, 225-240.
Moon, A., & Williams, O. (1993). Perceptions of elder abuse and help-seeking patterns among African Americans, Caucasian Americans, and Korean American elderly women. The Gerontologist, 33(3), 386-395
October 27 Culture, Health, and Health Practices (part III): Health-related Practice
Belgrave, L. L., Wykle, M. L., Choi, J. M. (1993). Health, double jeopardy, and culture: The use of institutionalization by African-Americans. The Gerontologist, 33(3). 379-385.
Dietz, L.T., John, R., & Roy, L.C. (1998). Exploring intra-ethnic diversity among four groups of Hispanic elderly: Patterns and levels of service utilization. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 46(3), 247-266.
Dunlop, D. D., Manheim, L. M., Song, J. and Chang, R. W. (2002). Gender and ethnic/racial disparities in health care utilization among older adults. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 57B, S221-S233.
Ma, G. X. (2000). Barriers to the use of health services by Chinese Americans. Journal of Applied Health, 29(2), 64-70.
Wolinsky, F. D., Aguirre, B. E., Fann, L. J., Keith, V. M., Arnold, C. L., Niederhauer, J. C., & Dietrich, K. (1990). Ethnic differences in the demand for physician and hospital utilization among older adults in major American cities: Conspicuous evidence of considerable inequalities. The Milbank Quarterly, 67(3-4), 412-449.
November 3 Religion
Idler, E. L. and Kasl, S. V. (1992). Religion, disability, depression, and the timing of death. American Journal of Sociology, 97, 1052-1079.
Krause, N. (2002). Church-based social support and health in old age: Exploring variations by race. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 57B, S332-S347.
Levin, J. S., Taylor, R. J., and Chatters, L. M. (1994). Race and gender differences in religiosity among older adults: Findings from four national surveys. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 49, S137-S145.
Zook, L. J. (2001). Mutual aid and elders in Amish society. Pp. 134-144 in L. Katz Olson (Ed.), Age through Ethnic Lenses. New York: Rowman and Littlefield.
Take-Home Exam Due
November 10 Immigration
Kritz, M. M., Gurak, D. T. and Chen, L. (2000). Elderly immigrants: Their composition and living arrangements. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 27, 85-114.
Sanchez, G. J. (1999). Race, nation, and culture in recent immigration studies, Journal of American Ethnic History, 18(4), 66-
Zhou, M. (2000). Contemporary immigration and the dynamics of race and ethnicity. Chapter 7 (pp. 200-242) in Smelser, Wilson, and Mitchell (Eds), America Becoming: Racial Trends and Their Consequences, Volume 1. National Research Council. Retrieve from the web: http://books.nap.edu/books/030906838X/html/200.html#
November 17 Aging in Other Cultures
Lai, O. K. (2001). Long-term care policy reform in Japan. Journal of Aging & Social Policy, 13(2/3), 5-20.
Olson, P.G. (1994). The changing role of the elderly in the People’s Republic of China. In L.K. Olson (Ed.) The Graying of the World: Who Will Care for the Frail Elderly? (pp.261-288). The Haworth Press. New York.
Neysmith, S. M. (1994). Canadian long-term care: Its escalating costs for women. In L.K. Olson (Ed.) The Graying of the World: Who Will Care for the Frail Elderly? (pp.163-188). The Haworth Press. New York.
Zelkovitz, B. M. (1990). Transforming the “middle way”: A political economy of aging policy in Sweden. In J. Sokolovsky (Ed.) The Cultural Context of Aging: Worldwide Perspectives (pp.163-180). Bergin & Garvey Publishers. New York.
November 24 Recess, Thanksgiving Break
December 1 Class presentations
December 8 No Class—Finals Week
Important Dates to Remember:
November 3 Take-Home Exam Due
December 12 Final paper due