Growing Old Around the Globe

Growing old is discussed today in ominous terms – concerns about disease, dysfunction, and destitution are daily discussed by media and policy makers. What are individuals, families, communities and societies to make of an ageing world? We analyze contemporary topics in psychological and social ageing from a global perspective. Each week, we pose a question to be explored and discussed online. Participants are encouraged to contribute their experiences and perspectives as we create a global community to discuss age, ageing, and the science of gerontology in action. Participants will then compile a portfolio of materials they create and/or collect to address each week’s question and critically reflect their knowledge and experience throughout the course. Portfolios are then reviewed by peers at the end of the course to foster continued discourse among participants in our COURSERA community.

Week Zero: How do I critically appraise information about ageing?

Key Concepts:

• Resources
• Evaluation
• Interpretation
• Application

Week One:   What is ageing?

Key Concepts:

• Biology and senescence
• Psychological ageing
• Social ageing

Week Two:   What is it to be old?

Key Concepts:

• Familial and filial structure
• Functional status
• Social welfare/well being
• Ageing in place
• Longevity

Week Three:   What is an ageing society?

Key Concepts:

• Ageing population (birth rate decline and longevity increase)
• Elder dependency
• Generativity
• Gerontocracy
• Gero-economics

Week Four:   What is it to age well?

Key Concepts:

• Usual and successful ageing
• Healthy ageing
• Well being
• Quality of life
• Spirituality and ageing

Week Five:  What are the global implications of ageing?

Key Concepts:

• Ageing workforce
• Caregiving workforce
• Migration
• Public health
• Public policy

Key Concepts:

• Human resources
• Financial resources
• Cultural precepts
• Ethical principles

For the full syllabus, click here.