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| Edward H. Thompson, Jr.
Department of Sociology & Anthropology Holy Cross College ethompson@holycross.edu |
Office: Beaven
211
Office Hours: W
10:30-noon
T-Th 3:00-5:00, and by
appointment
Phone: 793-3468
Fax: 793-3709
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| OBJECTIVES
OF THE SEMINAR
The well-being of elders in American society tends to be ignored. The common sense perspective assumes that it is normal for aging men and women to experience a deterioration in their (physical) health. To be old is to be sick. The same common sense perspective envisions older men and women as quirky, eccentric, and often cognitively impaired. To be old is to be odd. When you poll a classroom of grade school students (or college students) about their images of older men and women, it is not uncommon to hear elders described as alone, living on the margin, turning to God, waiting for death. To be old is to be spiritual and religious. Are these ordinary impressions of aging valid? What is the physical and mental health status of most elders? Are elders more religious than middle-aged or younger people? What is the place of religion in elders’ lives? This course is an advanced sociology course addressing the place of religion in elders’ lives. It is theory-based and research-intensive. That is, because theories specify relationships between concepts and provide frameworks to understand the way things occur (Cockerham, 1997, p. 50), we will use part of the semester to read and think about the ways religion, aging, and health are interconnected. We will then use this foundation to systematically assess the meaning of religion in elders’ lives and the role of religion in elders’ health. You will be directly involved in the logic of social science research and the analysis of survey research data. By the end of the semester you will have some practical experience using SPSS. You will become familiar with issues of measurement, the distinction between descriptive and inferential statistics, and the limits of research. The course is design to help
you develop a research paper that is theoretically grounded and based on
an original research question about a relationship among the religion,
aging, and health concepts
The materials selected for each week’s reading will be printed separately and provided at least one week in advance of the seminar discussion. Links to each week's assignment are in the course outline. The amount of reading varies weekly. On occasion, some readings will be divided among members of the class; half the class will read one set of material and present their interpretations of this information to the other half, and visa versa. REQUIRED TEXTS Babbie, E., & Halley,
F. 1998. Adventures in social research: Data analysis using
SPSS
Rowe, J. W., & Kahn,
R. L. 1998. Successful aging. NY: Pantheon
Books. Participation. This seminar will undoubtedly be a new experience for all of you. The weekly class meetings never permit enough time to discuss relevant material or elaborate on the readings. Therefore your thorough reading beforehand is absolutely essential. It is also essential that everyone participate in the discussion. Your participation is pivotal to the success of the seminar. In terms of your final grade, “participation” is defined along two dimensions. First is your “joining in” in the discussions. Second is the quality of your work on the day you assume responsibility for leading the seminar. For example, I ask, was the discussion focused and presented in an organized way; were the organizers going beyond the assigned material in their discussion of the issues? Position Papers. Twice during the semester you will be asked to submit a position paper on a particular issue. The purpose of the paper is to obligate everyone to define in advance their own perspective on the issue. Each paper should be no more than 3-4 typewritten pages. Papers will always be due in two days in advance of the appropriate class session, and they may be made available for everyone to read prior to a session. Position papers are a course requirement and are evaluated on three dimensions. First is completing them on time. Second is the thoroughness of your own analysis of your opinion; do you present supporting evidence to suggest that your position is tenable? Third is the extent to which you attempt to counter opposing positions. SPSS Research Assignments. About six “homework” assignments are required that call for you to analyze General Social Survey data. These assignments are due at the beginning of the seminar meeting, and they become part of the material we discuss during that week’s meeting. The assignments are evaluated on two dimensions. First is completing them on time. Second is the accuracy of the work. Midterm. A take-home midterm will be made available on October 1 and will be due October 8th. The midterm will consist of answering three questions. You will be responsible for writing 4-5 page responses to each. The midterm is intended to summarize the course reading material. Research Paper. Since a principle objective of the course is to get you to utilize concepts and information from the social sciences in analyzing experiences elders face, this assignment is designed to provide you the freedom to select a question which is of interest to you and, next, to develop a research paper. The process requires you to explore the relevant sociological and related literature, reviewing it for theories that may be useful conceptual guides and for prior research studies. You develop an evidence-based research paper which summarizes the problem, reviews the existing literature, proposes the new research question and presents your analysis of the (available) data, and concludes with a discussion of the meaning of the findings and the strengths and weaknesses of your work. WEIGHTS OF ASSIGNMENTS
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