New sociology class: the art of aging

If you’re looking for another class to take next semester, you might consider Sociology 299: Aging & Society.  The class, taught by Rebecca Fraley, is a special topics course covering the effects of aging and the transitions between different stages of life.

Sociology 299 is an advanced sociology class that goes into detail on specific topics.  In the spring 2012 semester, the class will focus on the effects of aging on people and society in general.  The class is unusual in the sense that in a class like Introduction to Sociology, many topics are touched on briefly.  Sociology 299 gives students the option to go into more detail on certain topics.  Rebecca Fraley is teaching this class because she has been working with older people for several years and wishes to bring her knowledge to her students.  Fraley said, “hopefully [I can] inspire some of them to want to work with older adults as they advance in their careers.”

Fraley describes sociology as “looking at real-life situations through different lenses.”  It is a way of getting a different perspective on different aspects of life.  Fraley said, “Each of us comes from a different place/background, and sociology helps us to develop sensitivity when interacting with people.”  Everyone can learn from one another to respect different races, ethnicities, religions, social classes and genders.  Along with lecture, students will learn through videos, guest speakers, special projects and face-to-face interactions with older adults.  Fraley focuses on the positive aspects of aging.  The changing family relationships, the care of the elderly, the experience of death and dying and the economic and political aspects of aging will all be explored.  Fraley will also share some of her own stories and experiences to enhance learning to help students connect the topics with their own life.  Fraley said, “This course will give students the opportunity to explore how their own aging experiences (and those of their parents and grandparents) are linked to larger structural issues and societal forces.”  The class is more interesting and enjoyable when students are able to relate the material to their own life.  

The class is geared towards students who want to learn more about sociology than the broad topics of Introduction to Sociology.  The class is also for those students who wish to share their experiences with others and learn from other students’ stories and experiences.

Some other topics that are explored at other times include violence, health and illness, death and dying, media, sexuality and gender roles.  Students can take Sociology 299 three times if they wish to explore other specific topics of interest to them.  No topic is offered more than twice in three years.  The class will be offered Tuesdays from 6 to 8:45pm in the spring 2012 semester.  The class is available in KishSOS as SOC-299-5001.