The purpose of this paper was to share an intergenerational approach for learning as undergraduate students became researchers. Student-researchers selected one topic as a team that was anchored in gerontological theory and then interviewed and taught elder participants using a qualitative approach. The richness of this qualitative research…

The aging of society requires more trained aging specialists. Are higher education institutions prepared? Results of a comparison of gerontology programs in 2000 and 2010 indicate that the number of programs has declined and that higher education is not prepared. To address this challenge, the authors propose that gerontology be professionalized.…

This qualitative study provides a comprehensive account of the social and life experiences and strategies and personality attributes that characterize exceptional longevity (living to 100 or over). It is based on nine semi-structured interviews of relatively healthy and functional Greek centenarians of both sexes. The analytic approach was…

The aging population has rapidly increased in South Korea. From an economic perspective, older people are too often seen in negative terms. Specifically, older women, who are traditionally at greater risk of poverty, are referred to as a social problem or as passive recipients, and the quality of life of older women in an aging society is often…

Adaptation to the retirement process by male sociologists and psychologists was studied for the age period 60-75 in the group of men who held academic positions in departments of psychology or sociology for at least 15 years immediately before the age of 60. Men were grouped into three publication levels. (Author)

The four papers of this symposium on social psychology and gerontology are critically discussed: Babchuk on primary relations; Shaver on attribution theory; Marris on conservation and innovation; and Lieberman on adaptation. (Author)

This study examines the perceived disruptive influence of a natural disaster on the individual, primary relational, and neighborhood ties of community residents. Results suggest the coping potential of the aged surpasses that of their younger counterparts. (Author)

A study of the effects of the Teton Dam Disaster in 1976 suggests that elderly persons cope quite well with disaster situations and tend to report fewer adverse emotional effects and feelings of relative deprivation than younger victims. (Author)

Examines the relative importance of income, health status, and such sociological factors as worker roles and family setting in explaining the life satisfaction of the aged. Results indicated that the lower life satisfaction resulted primarily from the loss of income and not from the loss of a worker-producer role. (Author)

In this exploratory study, 94 elderly persons, in seven senior service centers and one nursing home, were interviewed to identify and ascertain the meaning of cherished possessions in later years. Lack of cherished possessions was associated with low life satisfaction scores, a suggested indicator of poor adjustment to old age. (Author)

Describes how older people arrive at a decision to move and identifies some of the correlates of successful adjustment to relocation. Findings suggest that while the stress of moving should not be underestimated, neither should the resilience of the older person to participate in a decision that concerns him. (Author)

Examines the degree to which previous factors shown to be related to morale were isomorphic for aged whites and aged blacks. Results indicate that for Blacks the only two significant predictors of morale were health and participation in solitary activities. For whites, interaction with family and sex were also found to be significant. (Author)

Summarizes the results of an open-ended, semi-structured interview of 143 elderly persons (78 institutionalized and 65 living in their own homes) asking such questions as what specific everyday "things" contributed to their happiness, what "reinforcements" are important to them and what facilitated and/or restricted their adjusting to becoming…

Pearson Product Momen correlation coefficients were computed for seven frequently used measures of life satisfaction, adjustment, and morale. Data were collected from 259 subjects over the age of 60 representing three clusters: institutionalized older people, those with limited ambulation, and "community" aged. Intercorrelations indicate…

Relocation of older patients had a positive effect on hypochondria, stamina, hygiene, and daily functioning but no effect on health status. Self-health assessments, stamina, hypochondria, and hygiene had no effect on the mortality rate of relocated patients, but daily functioning did effect the mortality rate. (Author)