First, gerontology is a life course perspective that evaluates aging outcomes as the cumulative effect of individual characteristics (socioeconomic status, personality, health behaviors) and where the person lives (i.e., human ecosystems), including the historical context in which they reside. Second, gerontology examines factors that contribute…

A considerable number of studies have been carried out to explore the experiences of the elderly engaging in third age education, however, most of these investigations have focused on elderly motivation, the benefits accruing from their participation, and the barriers they have encountered during their lifelong learning experience. However, there…

In the face of the ageing of society, the concept of active ageing has become a key problem within European politics. (United Nations, 2002; European Commission, 2006). In recent years, the University of Third Age (U3A) movement has developed very quickly both within Poland and outside our country. In this article, we consider the educational…

Recent trends in counselor education are moving away from a standardized academic track in gerocounseling. In response to this, we surveyed 385 counseling students regarding issues related to gerocounseling, such as their interest in gerocounseling topics, willingness to participate in gerocounseling training, how prepared they feel to work with…

Purpose: Researchers' knowledge regarding older users of illicit drugs is limited despite the increasing numbers of users. In this article, we apply a life course perspective to gain a further understanding of older adult drug use, specifically contrasting early- and late-onset heroin users. Design and Methods: We collected qualitative data from…

Herbert Simon's work on bounded rationality has had little impact on researchers studying older adults' decision making. This omission is surprising, as human constraints on computation and memory are exacerbated in older adults. The study of older adults' decision-making processes could benefit from employing a bounded rationality perspective,…

The passage of time is fundamentally experienced through people's interaction with their social worlds. Life-course scholars acknowledge the multiple aspects of time-based experience but have given little attention to age identity in a dynamic context. Drawing from a stress-process model, we expected that turbulence within people's family…

These proceedings from the second conference on the Epidemiology of Aging sponsored by the National Institutes of Health indicate the direction of recent research and concern in this area. Attempts are made to formulate a definition of aging other than that of chronological age. A number of biomedical correlates of aging are addressed, including…

Written for both professionals and lay persons working with the development and education of older adults, this book addresses issues of aging, expectations for aged persons, and the means to respond in practical and educationally sound ways to the changing needs of older adults. The book is organized in four parts. Part I introduces the world of…

Outlines a recent educational initiative in social gerontology at the Western Australian College of Advanced Education: a two-year course on aging and the community. Discussed its educational and national context, the development of the course and its present content. Analyzes the student population to establish typical profiles of those…

Provides suggestions for a unit on the biological process of aging. Includes three activity sheets on the comparison of jaws and dentition from differently aged people, a denture survey, and eating and living without teeth. Includes a framework for organizing a course on the physiology of aging. (RT)

There is a need to begin educating America as to the nature and the problems of growing old. Many observations made about the aged are grossly inaccurate, yet they represent a portion of the mythology of aging that is accepted without question by a large segment of American society. A leading gerontologist believes that aging is only a series of…

Presents personal and professional musings on becoming and being an old woman. Older gerontologist discusses personal experiences of being both a researcher and a subject in gerontology. Considers various age and gender norms and how such norms are enforced. (Author/NB)

Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, which is offered at the University of Guelph, is an interdisciplinary department that previously offered three undergraduate majors: child, youth, and family; applied human nutrition; and gerontology; as well as graduate programs at the master's and doctoral levels. Several factors have precipitated a review…

Survey responses from 268 of 444 doctoral programs in adult development/aging and 81 of 145 in clinical psychology show a slight decline in the former. There are fewer teaching assitantships and more internships and practicums; 8% of clinical psychology programs offer a specialization in clinical geropsychology. (SK)