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Syllabus

SOC035:

The information contained on this page is designed to give students a representative example of material covered in the course. Any information related to course assignments, dates, or course materials is illustrative only. For a definitive list of materials, please check the online catalog 3-4 weeks before the course start date. SOC 035: The Sociology of Aging (3): Introduction to the sociological study of aging.

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Overview | Achieving Success in this Course | Objectives | Materials | Technical Requirements | Proctors | General Course Structure, Assignments, and Exams | Course Schedule | Grading | Academic Integrity | Policies

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Overview

"Aging seems to be the only available way to live a long life"
--Daniel François Esprit Auber

We are witness to an unprecedented period in human history. Current population projections indicate that by mid-century, the proportion of the U.S. population over age 65 will be approximately equal to the proportion of the population under age 18 (U.S. Census Bureau). This is a truly unique situation. For the entirety of human history before this point, youth were the numerically dominant group in most societies. There is a great deal that is unknown about how U.S. society will deal with such a dramatic shift in the composition of the population, as is evidenced by the recent political fervor over the Social Security and Medicare programs. In fact, "aging" of the population has come to be seen as a major social problem. However, this aging of the population did not suddenly occur. The average age of the population and the proportion of the population over age 65 steadily rose through the twentieth century. Yet, as we will explore in this course, the institutions of society--the family, the workforce, the health care system, and the government--have been slow to respond and therein lies the "problem." This is the macro level of the sociology of aging, and the Matcha text will focus our attention on these structural conditions.

At the same time that society is focusing on the "aging problem," there is also increasing recognition that the experience of growing old is not the same for everyone. Throughout this course, we will focus on the social forces that accumulate across our lives to produce inequality in the aging experience for individuals. We will use the life course perspective to understand how the variation in opportunities, choices, and experiences of old age are the product of the unique characteristics of the individuals and their positions in the social structure as defined by gender, race, and class. Individual aging does not occur in isolation, resulting solely from biological processes; rather, it occurs in a social context. This is the micro level of the sociology of aging. The Stoller and Gibson text is designed to help you understand the tremendous diversity in aging experiences.

Thus, we have two "sides" to aging--the macro-level, focusing on the aging of the population and what this means for the configuration of various social institutions, and the micro-level, focusing on individual variation in the experience of growing old. These two levels of inquiry are not mutually exclusive, but each explains a unique part of what it means to grow old in U.S. society. Understanding how these two levels of inquiry fit together to give rise to our cultural beliefs about aging and how we view ourselves as aged individuals is the crux of the sociology of aging and this course. By examining how society defines aging and the differences that result from our position in the social structure, we can be better prepared to research, provide medical services for, and make social policies that are useful to diverse groups of elderly Americans and the society as a whole.

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Achieving Success in this Course

In order to meet the objectives of this course, students who successfully complete the course will progress in their abilities to:

• Use the written word to construct an argument and communicate information, further developing general writing ability;
• Think critically about the research and theories presented, distinguishing empirically derived information from statements of value or opinion; and
• Create knowledge through the summary and synthesis of material presented in the assigned readings and commentary.

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Course Objectives

By the final exam, students successfully completing this course will:

• Understand and describe the demographic and historical factors that have shaped "population aging;
• Identify the major social intuitions and describe how population aging challenges those institutions, and evaluate the extent to which those institutions have adapted to population aging;
• Identify and critically analyze the major social policies that affect older adults, and appraise the political context in which these policies arise;
• Identify, describe, and critique the major sociological and gerontological theories of aging;
• Understand that the values, attributes, and expectations of aging are socially constructed, and use examples from the popular media to illustrate this;
• Outline the four key themes of the life course perspective and apply these features to narratives on individual aging; and
• Understand and describe how social factors--especially gender, race, and social class--give rise to opportunities and experiences that either facilitate or hinder "successful aging."

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Required Course Materials

Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.

Using the Library

Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can

• access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
• borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
• get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
• much more. 

You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service.  The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.

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Technical Requirements

For this course we recommend the minimum World Campus technical requirements listed below:

Technical Requirements

Operating System	Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8*; Mac OS X 10.5 or higher *Windows 8 support excludes the tablet only RT version
Processor	2 GHz or higher
Memory	1 GB of RAM
Hard Drive Space	20 GB free disk space
Browser	We recommend the latest ANGEL-supported version of Firefox or Internet Explorer. To determine if your browser fits this criterion, and for advice on downloading a supported version, please refer to the following ITS knowledge base article: Supported Browsers and Recommended Computers. Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled. Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. Due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript and caching, older versions of Internet Explorer (such as IE 6 or earlier) do not work with our courses.
Plug-ins	Adobe Reader [Download from Adobe] Flash Player (v7.0 or later) [Download from Adobe]
Additional Software	Microsoft Office (2007 or later)
Internet Connection	Broadband (cable or DSL) connection required
Printer	Access to graphics-capable printer
DVD-ROM	Required
Sound Card, Microphone, and Speakers	Required
Monitor	Capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution

If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.

For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!

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Arranging a Proctor

You will need to secure a proctor in order to take exams in this course. A proctor will not automatically be assigned to you; rather, you must make the necessary contacts to secure a professional who will serve in this capacity.

1. Contact a person who meets the qualifications and ask him or her to proctor your exam.
2. Student Services must approve your proctor before any exams can be taken. Please see instructions for securing a suitable proctor. While many proctors will serve on a voluntary basis, you are responsible for paying any expenses incurred in retaining a proctor.
3. You must submit your proctor for approval or schedule your exams at a testing center using our online proctored exam portal. You will need to enter your proctor's contact information and submit proctor verification documentation. If you have any questions about using the procted exam portal, please visit the how-to guide. Note: If your proctor has been previously approved by the World Campus during a prior course within two years, you do not need to obtain verification. World Campus retains proctor information on file for two years.
4. If your proctor does not meet the required specifications, Student Services will notify you within 5 to 7 business days.
5. Students registered with Student Disability Resources who are receiving exam accommodations are responsible for providing their letter of accommodation to both faculty/instructors and exam proctors prior to scheduling exams.
6. If you are a graduating senior requesting a final exam, please see additional information about early deadlines for course completion and exam scheduling.
7. Contact Student Services if you cannot take a scheduled exam.
8. Unless you have received permission to take your exam at an alternative time, your proctor will only allow you to take the exam during dates specified in your course.

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General Course Structure, Assignments, and Exams

Lessons in this course are designed so that they build upon one another. The lessons in the first part of the course will provide you with basic concepts and terminology that you need to fully understand to successfully complete subsequent lessons. I expect that, before beginning to read the commentary, you have completed the reading assignment for that lesson as listed on the Course Schedule. If you do not complete the reading first, it is probable that you will not fully understand the commentary because new concepts and terminology are not defined in the commentary if they appear in the texts.

You should note that the lessons are equal in neither length nor volume of reading. The design of this course is such that the lessons correspond with substantive topics, as I would present them in a resident course. That is, some of the topics would take just one lecture to cover, while others would take several. In order to help you gauge how long a lesson should take to complete, I include the "Number of Resident Lectures" at the beginning of each lesson. Note: each resident lecture lasts approximately 50 minutes.

If you are having trouble with a lesson or a reading, you can contact me via the methods described in your Welcome Letter. Experience shows that students who take the time to ask questions as they encounter them in the material are more successful in the course. So please, by all means, if you have questions--ask!

Your grade in this course will reflect the process of learning and not simple memorization of "facts." This emphasis may be different from other courses with which you are familiar and is one of the challenges of this course. Toward this end, the following methods of evaluation are an attempt to measure careful integration and analysis of the course material.

Short Written Exercises (Lesson Assignments 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13)

After most of the lessons, there is a short written assignment designed to stimulate critical thinking on the reading and commentary for that lesson. These assignments will typically be 3-4 type-written pages and will usually ask you to answer several questions and apply material that you have learned to some of the key issues of the sociology of aging. Specific descriptions of these assignments are included after each Lesson. You should plan to spend approximately 1 to 2 hours on each assignment.

Understanding the Life Course Paper (Lesson Assignment 6)

This paper asks you to apply the concepts of life course perspective, which we will learn about in this course. There are two options for this assignment. The first is to view an approved popular movie that describes the life of an older adult and then cast that individual's life in terms of the life course perspective. The second option is to describe the aging experience of an elderly relative, rather than using a character from a popular movie. This paper is to be 4-5 type-written pages long. A more specific description of the assignment is included with Lesson 6.

Mid-Course Exam

This exam will cover material from the readings and commentary through Lesson 8. The exam will consist of multiple-choice, short-answer, and essay questions. These questions are designed to measure what you have learned from the materials presented. In order to help you prepare for the exams, sample questions are included with each lesson.

Newspaper Article Analysis (Lesson Assignment 14)

A major theme in this course will be how one's experience with aging is the product of the social environment and that there are subtle (or not so subtle) messages contained in popular culture about the value we place on aging. This assignment will ask you to collect four newspaper articles on four different topics that we have covered and examine the stereotypes and assumptions about aging that the author makes. Specific instructions for this assignment are included after Lesson 14, but because you will need several newspapers, I encourage you to look at the assignment beforehand and collect the articles in advance.

Final Exam

The final exam will be similar in format to the mid-course exam. Although the exam will not be cumulative and will emphasize Lessons 10-15, the cumulative nature of the material means that students will need to be familiar with the major concepts from before the mid-course exam.

Course Schedule

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Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please refer to Graduation at the Chaiken Center for Student Success.

Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.

Grading

Any system that tries to force learning into neatly defined categories, as does grading, is imperfect. However, in order to maintain some uniformity between grading schemes, this course subscribes to the grading policy of the Pennsylvania State University for resident students. All letter grades will be assigned according to the criteria listed below.

• In order to earn a minimum of an A, you need 450 points of the total 500 possible.
• In order to earn a minimum of an B, you need 400 points of the total 500 possible.
• In order to earn a minimum of an C, you need 350 points of the total 500 possible.
• In order to earn a minimum of an D, you need 300 points of the total 500 possible.

The World Campus program follows the same grading system as the Penn State resident program. The grades of A, B, C, D, and F indicate the following qualities of academic performance:

Grades are assigned the following grade-point equivalents:

Please refer to the University Registrar's information about University grading policies.

Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please refer to Graduation at the Chaiken Center for Student Success.

If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.

For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.

Academic Integrity

According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity (for undergraduate students in undergraduate courses) and policy GCAC-805 Academic Integrity (for graduate students and undergraduate students in graduate courses), an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.

Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity or GCAC-805 Academic Integrity as appropriate). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.

How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and others, as well as a civil community.

In cases where academic integrity is questioned, procedures allow a student to accept or contest/appeal the allegation. If a student chooses to contest/appeal the allegation, the case will then be managed by the respective school, college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. Review procedures may vary by college, campus, or school, but all follow the aforementioned policies.

All academic integrity violations are referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response, which may assign an educational intervention and/or apply a Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, or Expulsion.

Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page.