Fall Quarter 2003

Instructor and Office Hours: Professor Larry L. Butcher; Department of Psychology, UCLA; 8623 Franz Hall; Office Hours: TR 10:00-10:45 AM or by appointment. Guest experts in gerontology may also lecture.

Classroom and Time: Haines Hall 220, TR 11:00 AM -12:15 PM.

Course Description: Broadly conceived, aging refers to developmental changes occurring at the end stages of life, albeit with a timecourse seemingly slower than that during childhood and early adulthood. Some of the alterations that occur represent improvement; others are detrimental. Major goals of this class will be (1) to chart, analyze, and evaluate the impact of the human aging process on our anatomy and physiology, psychology, sociology, economics, and policy strategies and (2) to explore ways in which positive changes can be maximally utilized and the impact of detrimental alterations minimized.

Textbook: Nancy Hooyman and H. Asuman Kiyak, Social Gerontology -- A Multidisciplinary Approach, 6th Ed., 2002; Allyn and Bacon Publishing Co. (ISBN 0-205-33625-6)

Evaluation: One midterm and one final examination will be given. Both examinations will be objective (i.e., multiple choice, true-false) and will be computer scored. The midterm will represent 30% of the final grade (60 questions) and the final 45% (90 questions). The final will stress the second half of the class, but some questions, approximately 15%, will address the first half of the quarter as well. No make-up examinations will be given. Examinations will only be given at their scheduled times.

An important part of the class, 25% of the final grade, will be performance in debate sessions on specialized, but controversial, topics in gerontology. This debate series will commence after the midterm examination and will continue until the end of class.

Important Dates: Midterm examination: Tuesday, 28 October 2003, 11:00 AM -12:15 PM, 220 Haines Hall. Final examination (code = 13): Wednesday, 10 December 2002, 3:00 – 6:00 PM, 220 Haines Hall.

WEEK OF TOPIC AND TEXT READINGS

September 25 Introduction: terminology, methodology, and trends (pp. 1-58)

September 29 History and theories of aging (pp. 59-67)

Physical changes that accompany aging (pp. 68-100)

October 6 Diseases and chronic conditions in aging (pp. 101-145)

Learning, memory, and speed of behavior as a function of aging I (pp. 147-175)

October 13 Learning, memory, and speed of behavior as a function of aging II

Love, intimacy, and sexuality (pp. 227-250)

October 20 Intellect, personality, and mental health (pp. 176-200)

Age-related neurologic diseases (pp. 201-226)

October 28 MIDTERM EXAMINATION, Tuesday, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM

November 3 Will future elderly persons experience more years of disability?

Is aging more problematic for women than for men?

November 10 Are the elderly benefiting at the expense of younger Americans? (pp. 506-534)

Should older persons have the right to commit suicide? (pp. 415- 448)

November 17 Should family members be paid to provide care to elderly relatives? (pp. 276-289, 295-301, 308-318)

Should grandparents assume full parental responsibility? (pp. 290-295)

December 24 Do the elderly really have political clout?

Will elder abuse increase in the 21^st century? (pp. 318-325)

December 1 Will tomorrow’s elderly be better off? (pp. 364-407)

December 10 FINAL EXAMINATION, Wednesday, 3:00 - 6:00 PM