Units
Units
Embedded Files
In Unit 1, we will consider the Biopsychosocial perspective, a powerful, holistic theoretical framework for understanding and explaining development in adulthood and later life. We will be returning to this perspective throughout our learning in this course -- it will serve as our touchstone as we consider the personal and social aspects of adult aging, the domains of aging well, as well as the social forces and developmental pressures which shape how we experience development and aging into the farthest reaches of the life-course.
We've begun to create a foundation for our learning and this week we will add some additional layers, moving from the individual level to the social and population levels. We will consider the demographic landscape of population aging, the contextual factors that influence individual development and aging in adulthood, and make connections to the biopsychosocial approach used to study and understand adult development and aging introduced in Unit 1.
Guess what? For Unit 3, there isn't a new reading assignment as we are going to create together a collection of annotated resources connected to the new questions and ideas about adult aging that have emerged thus far in this course. Get ready for a "show-and-tell"!
Now let's pause to reflect on our learning about adult aging and begin to make some connections between ideas before we move forward to our exploration of nutrition and wellness.
You will spend considerable time in 'conversation' with your colleagues. The work is to post your reflections and then engage with your colleagues.
We now move into application of concepts of adult aging to the realms of nutrition and wellness, specifically. In this unit, we explore the personal, individual aspects of and influences on food, nutrition, fitness and wellness. In earlier units, some of the reading used the term 'biopsychosocial perspective' to examine personal and social influences. In the realm of health and wellness, we typically refer to the "social-ecological model". As you complete this unit, see how the two approaches line up for you.
Now we turn our attention to the social frameworks. Using the Social-Ecological Model, we examine Settings, Sectors and Social & Cultural Values & Norms to consider influences in addition to the individual or personal layer. This is the context. As you complete the modules, think about food, nutrition & wellness issues or questions that are bubbling up for you. The assignments for this unit are an exploration of resources related to your questions.
We begin by looking at community nutrition programs- local to federal, and consider how they reflect social values and address needs. Your assignment this week offers an opportunity to explore a program in detail.
As you did in Unit 4, now is the time to pause, reflect and connect. You'll spend this week sharing your reflections with your colleagues. And, begin the work on your Big Idea synthesis and action project. I hope this class is bringing you a lot of good challenges and fun dialogue!
This unit's discussion centers on any issues that have arisen as you work on your Big Idea Synthesis and Action Projects. You'll have the chance to consider the reflections of your colleagues and get added value to your own posts.
The class has gone by so quickly! Seems like we were just starting to examine the construct of aging and now we are wrapping things up. Showcase your project and spend the week learning from each other.
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