This month we are highlighting the learning module, Productive Aging: Examining Trends in Health and Employment Status by Age Updated by Jennifer Roebuck Bulanda, Miami University, Department of Sociology & Gerontology.
In this assignment, students are asked to use Census data and data from the American Community Survey to examine employment trends by age over time. Students use the quantitative information to document older adults’ employment patterns over four decades, the percentage of older adults who have no health problems limiting their ability to work, and trends in employment status for both younger and older adults. Data nicely illustrate the concepts of a tripartioned life course, the standardization of retirement, and the health of older workers. The assignment can also be used to illustrate the potential for productive aging.
Author(s) – Jennifer Roebuck Bulanda
Miami University, Department of Sociology & Gerontology
Learning Goals
Use findings from quantitative data on employment status to discuss implications for “productive aging” initiatives, civic engagement, and labor force participation in later life.
Write clear conclusions based on data, and support these conclusions with numerical evidence. Access and use data from the Census and the American Community Survey to examine the relationship between two variables.
Context for Use
This assignment is used in a junior-level undergraduate course on the sociology of aging. It is particularly useful in a sociology of aging or a gerontology course, but could also be useful in an introductory sociology or work and occupations course.
Description and Teaching Materials
The biggest challenge the students face is correctly choosing which way to percentage their cross-tabs. Additional time discussing this issue during class is advisable.Students prepare a written report interpreting and integrating their results and writing about them in an accessible manner. In addition, students are asked to apply the results by making recommendations to a business and to a non-profit agency.