Edited by Dena Shenk and Jay Sokolovsky

INTRODUCTION

This new edition of Teaching About Aging: Interdisciplinary and Cross-Cultural Perspectives is a joint effort of the Association of Anthropology and Gerontology (AAGE) and The Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE). The International Commission on Age and Ageing of the Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences also provided financial support for preparation of this publication. It has been almost a decade since the previous edition was published and a number of things have happened which greatly broaden the resources for educators interested in a global and interdisciplinary approach to the field of aging. The first has been an enormous burst of research and publications on aging in non-Western cultures as well as ethnic groups situated in North American and European contexts.

This is reflected not only in new books but also in journals such as the Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology, the Journal of Aging and Ethnicity, Ageing International and the Journal of Ageing and Identity. In reading the chapters in this book, you will also notice teachers using recent journal articles drawn from numerous special issues having a cross-cultural focus. Another change has been the growth of a qualitative and cross-cultural approach to aging beyond the disciplinary bounds of anthropology. This expanded qualitative, comparative approach is often referred to as "qualitative gerontology." This movement has included those in fields as divergent as sociology, geography, nursing, social work, medicine and demography.

A third very dramatic change is the availability of educational resources through the Internet. Most universities now have connections readily available to both students and faculty in computer centers, dorms and faculty offices. Some schools now provide each entering student with a laptop computer which they are expected to take to class. As detailed Jay Sokolovsky's chapter in the books final section some gerontology courses can be taken completely on the Web and a vast array of teaching materials are now available for use in classes.

The scale of these pedagogical riches can be overwhelming. However, we hope this publication will provide substantial assistance to higher education faculty in developing courses of substance and interest to their students. Toward this end, the second section of this volume discusses the realities of using resources such as literature, film, simulation exercises, and the Web in your classrooms.

Dena Shenk
Director, Gerontology Program and Professor of Anthropology
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
9201 University City Boulevard
Charlotte, NC 28223

Jay Sokolovsky
Professor of Anthropology
University of South Florida - Bayboro
140 7th Avenue South
St. Ptersburg, FL 33701

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