ONLINE COURSE FOR FALL 2018

SOCIOLOGY 353: SURVEY OF THE SOCIOLOGY OF AGING: Active Aging UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA

OUTREACH COLLEGE

INSTRUCTOR: Cullen T. Hayashida, Ph.D.

Instructor’s Email: cullen@hawaii.edu

Phone: (808) 781-6604

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will provide an introduction to social gerontology with an emphasis on active aging beginning as early as the 6th decade of life – sometimes referred to as the 3rd Age. To date, gerontology has tended to address aging in terms of frailty and disability or from an age as sick care perspective. After reviewing the implications of population aging, the social implications of the physical changes of older adult will be addressed followed by viewing age as well-care or age as an asset to the community perspective. The implications of this latter perspective will be applied to a multi-dimensional view of fitness. Issues and controversies associated with the 4th Age and preparation for the end of life will also be addressed. Finally, this course will also discuss how population aging affects a wide array of occupations and may very well affect every student’s career as well.

FORMAT: ONLINE ONLY

OBJECTIVES (SLOs)

  1. Understand population aging trends and its social implications
  2. Identify and critique major theories and frameworks and discuss normal biological aging changes, common chronic illnesses, geriatric syndromes, and functional changes related to long-term caring and aging from a frailty or disability perspective.
  3. Recognize ageism, age discrimination and its negative effects
  4. Understand key concepts such as active aging
  5. Discuss key factors that support continued participation, health, and safety of older adults in society.
  6. Discuss how age is an economic opportunity and has implications for one’s career choice

INSTRUCTOR’S BIOSKETCH:

While trained as an academic, he has had the opportunity to help to propose, build, deliver and assess eldercare services in Hawai‘i. Over the past 40 years, Hayashida has been involved with developing numerous elder care service projects in the hospital, nursing home, home care, college and community settings and has provided technical assistance to other organizations locally, nationally and in East Asia. His experience as an educator and as an elder care program developer have all been directed towards finding more cost effective solutions for elder caring in the least restrictive environment. His work has also advocated for an active aging approach by reframing Hawaii’s age as sick-care policy agenda to one promoting age as well-care and an asset to our communities. He has taught at the University of Washington (Seattle), Willamette University (Salem, Oregon), Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, Ohio) and the University of Hawai‘i. Hayashida is a graduate of the University of Hawai‘i and the University of Washington (Ph.D. in Sociology)