Week - 1 Introduction to Social Gerontology

Aging is something that happens to all of us. It is a natural and virtually inevitable process. Yet older people are often the subject of bad jokes and negative stereotypes, and many people in our society dread growing old. A quick visit to the birthday card section of your local card shop will confirm our preoccupation with negative views of, and jokes about, aging. Despite this preoccupation, our ideas about what aging really means and why it matters are notably diverse.

Social gerontology is a specialization that centers on the social aspects of growing old. The goal of social gerontologists is to help older adults improve their communication and interactions with others. Ideally, they will be able to help older adults live active, independent lifestyles.

This unique subfield of gerontology is sometimes referred to as the social psychology of aging. Social gerontologists are human service specialists who advocate for older adults. They deal with a variety of common social, health, personal and psychological problems that older adults face. This includes ageism and associated media stereotypes and discrimination at work. It includes elder abuse and neglect that older adults experience in assisted living facilities. It also includes common mental and physical health problems, such as dementia, depression, and disabilities.

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