Research a topic in society and how it impacts seniors differently than other groups. You each signed up for a specific topic and you will essentially research that topic AND seniors. The idea is for those of us who care for or work with seniors, how would this issue in society impact them in unique ways.
To Begin, start by researching the topic itself. What are the main issues with your topic? What is the
current status of your topic? And then link it to age and the aging process.
Look at it like a sociological demographer would. What are the trends of senior facing this issue or
engaging with this issue? Are there more concerns with males/females? Younger or older seniors?
Disabled seniors? Seniors with/without family & social supports, etc.
Then find out what sub-cultural differences there are among seniors regarding this issue compared to
other age cohorts. For instance, how do seniors use technology differently than other ages or how do
seniors feel about an issue based on their lived experiences (for instance, living through the depression
may shape attitudes about current economic issues).
Then examine this group through the lens of stratification/inequality. How does their fixed income
status shape their relationship to this issue? Are there some seniors that have more or less access based
on social inequalities related to aging or sub-group status?
Then think about the social structures and institutions they can interact with to have better or worse
outcomes related to this issue. For example, are there things churches, families, care-sites, and the like
could do to improve outcomes related to this issue?
Then, make sure you include the voices of the people you are representing, not just academics and caregivers’ opinions. This means searching online for how seniors themselves talk about this issue.
