Let’s Talk About Aging

As sociology instructors, we are experts on concepts such as racism, sexism, and social inequality. Not only can we lecture theoretically about these concepts, but we are also familiar with the impacts that these systems of oppression have on our society and students. However, we rarely include concepts such as ageism as part of our lectures despite its prevalence and damaging effects on our community.

In higher education, aging and gerontological concepts and programs continue to be overlooked or closed entirely. In fact, “from 2000 to 2010, […] the number of programs overall--including degree programs at all levels and programs offering certificates that augment degrees in other majors--fell 11 percent, to 675 from 756” (Anft 2014). As a first-time community college instructor and a recent graduate from a master’s program who acquired a certificate in Gerontology, I have witnessed how the aging topic has been neglected, ignored, or skipped by professors. For example, as an undergraduate student, I followed the advice of a professor who encouraged me to drop an Introduction to Gerontology course and sign up for a Gender course. Regrettably, as a student and despite basic gerontological concepts being included in most Introduction to Sociology textbooks, I was not exposed to such themes until my Master’s program.

Due to modernization and industrialization, our society has shifted its views on death and aging, resulting in a tendency to shy away from these concepts. Today, aging has become a topic to avoid, and this is reflected in the topics we choose to teach in our own classrooms. However, I encourage instructors of introductory-level courses not to overlook the aging chapter. While it is true that semesters go faster than anticipated and often, we, as instructors, face the inevitable decision to exclude certain topics, I suggest that we consider the benefits of teaching our students about aging. The reasons to do so are many. To name a few, I will start by noting that we, as sociologists, are already acquainted with some basic gerontological concepts. For instance, often we refer to demographic statistics when explaining some social issues such as the decline in crime or changes in household patterns including lower birth rates and a decrease in marriage and divorce, etc.

Further, our current demographics show that there are over 50 million individuals 65 and up in the U.S., and that number is expected to double by 2060 (AoA 2019). Expertise or knowledge about aging will continue to be essential throughout a wide array of fields and will not be limited to medical, nursing, and/or leisure. In a recent interview, Dr. Takagi (2021), an Assistant Professor of Gerontology at San Francisco State University, noted the greater need and use of gerontological backgrounds/knowledge since the Covid-19 pandemic (Vargas 2021). Because of this, I encourage instructors to expose their students to gerontological concepts.

From its beginnings, Gerontology has adopted a multidisciplinary approach focusing on the “biological, psychological, and social aspects of aging” (Hooyman and Kiyack 2008:3).

Often, students enrolled in Introduction to Sociology courses go on to major in a variety of fields, taking with them the knowledge they have accumulated from their general education courses. Students’ ability to comprehend and apply learned concepts about aging is an important foundation. Certainly, economic and financial institutions already play a major role in serving the geriatric population. Similarly, building, construction, and architectural environments have already witnessed a shift in our society’s landscape, as exemplified by the many communities across our nation designed exclusively for older individuals. Furthermore, the aging of our population is of interest to environmental scientists and geographers. In fact, there are a few studies on the social phenomena of aging migration and its effects on the receiving localities. Further, the impact that our aging population has and will continue to have on policy is ever reaching. Many are aware of worldwide examples such as the shift in immigration policies implemented by Japan due to their aging population. All the above re-states my argument that, regardless of our students’ focus or major, we can all experience long-term benefits from talking more about age.