GOALS,PURPOSES, AND FUTURE OF UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION IN THE PSYCHOLOGY OF AGING |
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| Authors: | David Schonfield Sally Chatfield |
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| Institution: | Department of Psychology , University of Calgary |
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| Abstract: | The study of aging can bridge divisions between biology, social sciences, and humanities, develop an understanding of causal interrelationships, and help in distinguishing between fact and opinion. An introductory course in gerontology should, therefore, be firmly tied to the liberal arts core of higher education, and not merely provide an assembly line of facts. Why particular problems have been investigated is as worthy of discussion as the findings themselves. The practical implications of research deserve emphasis, but the aim of university education is not to train pressure groups. Undergraduates should be helped to appreciate difficulties in designing and interpreting gerontological studies, as well as to realize that they are not yet ready to undertake independent empirical investigations. The work of the first author is supported by the Canadian National Research Council (APA 89) and the Department of National Health and Welfare. |
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