What are the Most Important Social and Social-Psychological Factors Affecting Physical Activity Participation among Older Adults?

/in /by

Select the topic from the list provided below

Topics you can choose from

A Comparison of Male and Female Predictors of Retirement
Ever-Single Women: Informal Support and Life Course Events
Elder Care Issues Among Indigenous Peoples
Discrimination against the Aging Worker: Challenges and Solutions
Are the Baby Boomers Aging Better Than Earlier Generations?
Aging, Social Institutions, and Public Policy
Barriers and Facilitators of Utilization of Formal Services by Asian-Canadian Elderly
Age-friendly Programs Targeting Rural Elderly: Do They Work?
Contradiction and Inconsistencies in the Pension Debate
Proactivity and Environmental Adaptation
Sexuality and Institutionalization: What Does the Research Say?
The Social, Environmental, and Health Contexts of Aging
What are the Most Important Social and Social-Psychological Factors Affecting Physical Activity Participation among Older Adults?
Do Childlessness Elderly have Adequate Levels of Social Support?
What Are the Major Determinants of Workforce Aging?
Labelling Theory and Media Stereotypes of the Elderly: Their Effects and How Are They Changing?
Music Therapy and the Elderly: Does it Work, Why, and for Whom?
The Use of Psychoactive Drugs among the Elderly: The Role of Social Structures
Social Support and Well-Being among Widowed Elders: Can Social Support Buffer Stress?
Adjustment to Widowhood: Gender Dynamics
Women as Caregivers: “Women in the Middle”
Arthritis Self-Management Programs for Older Adults: Does it Work?
Social Explanations of Sexuality and Aging: The Role of Ageism
How Important Are Healthy Lifestyles for Aging?
Financial Elder Abuse in a New Age
Longevity and Quality of Life: Are They Synonymous?
Resilience and Aging: Why do Some People Bounce Back Better than Others?
Multimorbidity and Aging: What Does the New Research Say?

The essay involves a review and summary of pertinent literature on a focused topic in the field of Sociology of Aging/Social Gerontology. A review of literature is an integrative summary of the evidence for and against a particular theory, idea, or point of view. It may involve comparing and contrasting opposing views on the same topic. It may help to organize your essay around one or more questions. The paper should also suggest how future research could better our understanding of the social phenomenon under study. Do NOT write a position paper in which you selectively report the literature to support a view that you hold. Rather, describe and critically evaluate the research literature in such a way that you end up with substantiated conclusions. Also, do NOT conduct your own interviews for this paper.

The essay requires a sociological or social-psychological perspective, develop and linked to a theory, conceptual framework or model. In other words, relevant theoretical and conceptual material to these fields needs to be included in the paper, typically in a separate section. For example, it is NOT appropriate to develop a paper solely on the physiological aspects of aging without a sociological perspective. The theoretical components incorporated into the essay should reflect the literature that you are covering. For example, in a paper on media stereotypes and the elderly, one might describe and apply labelling theory to the topic (this should go before the review of research studies), and then revisit the applicability of labelling theory to the area in light of research findings. Some papers will include more than one theory, but you should be guided by the literature you are covering coupled with knowledge accrued from the course.
The essay should be based on your reading of primary literature on your specific topic.
Use mainly journal articles, specialized books, and monographs and reports, not general textbooks. Using journal articles is crucial in producing a good essay because the research tends to be the most current. As a rule of thumb, I expect a minimum of 10 journal articles to be integrated into the paper. You can a few books, reports (etc.). It is preferable to weave information together, rather than summarize each article separately. Use few, if any, Internet references, since these are unreliable sources, unless you access a peer reviewed article directly from the Internet.

How accurate was the public concern raised, in your opinion? Or was there a lack of public concern that SHOULD have existed? If present, did the public concern accurately target the most important aspects of “the problem”?

/in /by

Social construction of alcohol problems and social control of alcohol

Points: 100 total (10% of the grade)

Expected length: 3-4 double spaced pages (2-3 single spaced), not more than 1000 words or an equivalent presentation. If you would like to create a presentation (slides) with or without audio instead of a short paper in order to take advantage of visuals, that’s also a possibility–but it should be the equivalent amount of presentation material.

Due: 12/8 on Canvas in lieu of weekly discussion.

This does not need to be a super formal paper, but you should show that you have examined your topic and thought carefully about moral entrepreneurship, power, and/or social control from different angles.

 

The assignment:

Briefly address an alcohol problem that has received significant public attention at some point in the past 150 years–OR that you think SHOULD be receiving significant attention, and which some have tried to call attention to, but unsuccessfully. This could be one of the suggested topics from the Week 12 or 13 materials (probably the easiest), one of the topics in the public health unit, or one that you are just interested in (anything outside of the Week 12 and 13 topics may require a little additional research). Please be as specific as possible—for example, if you choose the prohibition movement, you should pick a aspect, such as a specific place/time/actor and focus in on that, rather than trying to address 50+ years of a huge social movement.

Consider that social problems are often BOTH truly serious problems but are also socially constructed in specific ways that can be problematic.

Discuss the social construction of the problem. (30 points) This includes:

Describing the “true” nature of the problem, in your personal assessment (based on facts of some kind-citations are a good idea!)
You will also want to do at least some of the following to get at the social construction of the problem–what made it a hot topic? Or assess why it was NOT as hot of a topic as you would expect.

Discuss the actor(s) who brought public attention to the problem—who were they and what was their stake in this? Address whether they fit Becker’s “moral entrepreneur” model.
Describe the techniques the actor(s) used to do this and the way they emphasized the nature of the problem. Who, if anyone, is constructed to be a victim? Who, if anyone, is constructed as a villain or threat?
If there is no one easily identifiable moral entrepreneur, describe the nature of the problem as presented in popular news, public service accounts, or expressions of public concern.
If it was/is NOT a hot topic, assess whether any attempts to bring attention have been made. Why have these failed? OR consider what features of a “moral entrepreneur” might help make it a hotter topic.

Assess the social construction. (30 points) For example:

How accurate was the public concern raised, in your opinion? Or was there a lack of public concern that SHOULD have existed? If present, did the public concern accurately target the most important aspects of “the problem”?
Do you think the social position of the main actor(s) affect the way(s) that they understood and chose to socially construct the problem? How?
Were any people with less power targeted for social control in potentially problematic ways in either the creation of the “problem” or the possible solutions?

Discuss to what extent social control measures were implemented due to this public attention-raising. (30 points) For example:

What were the measures? Were they formal (eg laws and policies) or informal (eg norms)?
Who was the target of these measures?
What behaviors were targeted?
In your opinion, were the people and behaviors targeted appropriate for the true nature of the problem as you see it? Are there behaviors or individuals that would be more on point for a target?
How were the choices of targeted people/behaviors influenced by formal or informal power structures in society?

Define what kind(s) of alcohol use you are talking about. Discuss what you mean by “burden”. Discuss how male and female drinking patterns are similar/different citing sources.

/in /by

Health burden of Alcohol Use

There are three options (plus a DIY in case you have a brilliant idea of your own); all ask you to do some synthesis of material from this week, explain the idea of “burden of alcohol use” and apply the concept. These are short response papers that should demonstrate how you are engaging in the course material and doing your own thinking about it. Therefore, you may find that you want to (re)read some of the literature that was assigned earlier for class and citing it as well as this week’s. Outside sources are allowed, but not necessary; I expect to see you use some sources from class first if you do bring additional materials into the discussions. This is a chance for you to grapple with this week’s materials in a way that interests you instead of me or the discussion leaders.

This assignment does not need to be extremely formal–I am mostly interested in seeing your thinking, clearly expressed– but do bring your “A” game to your piece if you want to see an “A” grade. Points will be assigned according to the rubric below (for example, make sure you give some attention to the “so what” factors of implications or you won’t get many of the 30 points from that scoring section).

One note: you may, if you choose, present this assignment in an alternative format, such as a slide show that combines graphics and text, or a recorded talk by you with some visuals in Prezi, or something else, if you have an idea. However, IF you do want to use an alternative format, please send me a quick message with your idea so we can come to some agreement about expectations for what you turn in.

Option 1: Gender and alcohol burden
Within this option, you have more choices for focus. You can choose to focus on alcohol burden by gender within the US (using anything from Week 4-6 plus anything relevant from earlier in the class), or you can choose to compare any two-three countries using the Week 6 materials (especially the WHO Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health report provided for reference, which reports a wide variety of indicators by gender for many countries).

Define what kind(s) of alcohol use you are talking about ( and include both moderate use and heavy or binge drinking).
Discuss what you mean by “burden”.
Discuss how male and female drinking patterns are similar/different citing sources

How was Knapp able to hide her drinking and symptoms from some people? Most notably, how was she able to function and have success in her career at work? How do you see her story fitting into the biopsychosocial model of predisposing and precipitating factors for AUD?

/in /by

Response to “Drinking: A Love Story”

This response memo assignment is intended to encourage reflection on the memoir itself, as well as the Addictions Science unit as a whole. Although I’m expecting most students will prefer to provide their reflections in a written essay format due to the short time frame, you may choose an alternative format. For example, you may feel drawn to make a slide show with or without narration, present a recording instead of a written document, or another alternative format. If you have uncertainty about the appropriateness, please send a quick canvas message or email with your idea.

However, the focus of your assignment is up to you and what resonated with you, as long as it addresses her memoir with at least some aspects of an additions perspective. This should be about 3-4 pages long (double spaced) and can include personal as well as academic reflections if you desire. You may want to reflect on 1-3 of the questions below, but if you have other things on your mind, you may focus on those.

Some possible reflection topics:

The types of symptoms she describes. When do you first realize she might meet the DSM criteria for moderate or severe alcohol use disorder? When does SHE recognize that she might have a problem? Are these different?
How was Knapp able to hide her drinking and symptoms from some people? Most notably, how was she able to function and have success in her career at work?
How do you see her story fitting into the biopsychosocial model of predisposing and precipitating factors for AUD? (class model will be linked to here Links to an external site.) Are your perceptions of “cause” the same as what she attributes cause to? Why or why not?
What role did family issues, especially unspoken family secrets, have on her adult mental health and drinking behaviors? Does this complicate your thinking of what adverse childhood experience (ACES) might look like for someone growing up, or do you think this situation is a different type of childhood issue?
Can you identify her “drinking motives” (for a refresher on drinking motives, check out the Kuntsche et al article here)? How do you think these influenced her symptoms?
What impact did her chosen social networks (outside of her family), especially her choices with romantic partners, have on her alcohol use?
Can you identify protective factors that may have helped her recognize her problems or prevent relapse?
Were there missed opportunities to change her drinking earlier due to perpetuating factors? (again, you may want to look at the class biopsychosocial model here Links to an external site.)

You can also reflect on anything else that touches or resonates with you (which includes bothering you!) if you have ideas that don’t fit these examples.

Compare your thoughts about sociology now to your thoughts on sociology when you started the course. How have your thoughts or beliefs changed?

/in /by

Application Assignment: Final Paper

Overview
No matter which option you chose, this summative final paper will have you considering what you learned in this course. Each topic will make you consider your thoughts on sociology when you started this course and what you have learned. While evaluating how your beliefs have changed since the beginning of the course, you will need to reassess your standing with the sociological perspectives. Note that these two activities go hand in hand: You are unlikely to reassess something without considering how your beliefs may have changed. Although the topics are different, they overlap.

Instructions
1. Choose one topic for your assignment:
(a) Compare your thoughts about sociology now to your thoughts on sociology when you started the course. How have your thoughts or beliefs changed?

(b) What in this course stood out to you the most? What made you stop and reassess your values, beliefs, or perspectives?

2. Prepare a paper that addresses the topic, integrating scholarly sources.

What items that you frequently use do you think have the greatest negative impact on the environment? How does this relate to globalization?

/in /by

Reflective Discussion: Globalization

It would be hard to address environmental conservation without considering globalization. Globalization has a direct impact on the environment, but just what is globalization and what does it mean to each one of us individually? What about on a societal level or on the environment as a whole? Don’t forget that you need to think about other nations and societies, as well. In this discussion, you will consider the give-and-take relationship of globalization on the societies of the world and on the environment while looking at this topic using the three main sociological perspectives.

Week 16
This discussion is a continuation of last week’s discussion.

Instructions
For your initial response, choose one of the following prompts:
(a) Use the three main sociological perspectives to analyze environmental conservation. As you do so, consider the following:
What items that you frequently use do you think have the greatest negative impact on the environment?
How does this relate to globalization?
Do you think this differs across societies? How?

(b) Use the three main sociological perspectives to analyze globalization and the environment. As you do so, consider the following:
Is globalization good or bad for the environment? For the people? Why or why not?
How has globalization changed over the years?
Your initial post should be 400 words in length and integrate at least one scholarly source to back up your stance on the topic. You must post your initial response before you can respond to your peers.
Respond to two of your peers. Each reply needs to be at least 150 words in length and add depth to the conversation.

What can we do to address this problem? How can it be solved? Reduced? Policy proposal? Community awareness/action? Website? Education?

/in /by

Research Paper

1. Research and explain the problem:

Using the sources from Part 1: LIBRARY VISIT, explain your findings regarding the social issue that needs addressing. Be sure to address the following questions: What is the problem? How serious is it in your community? Whose responsibility is it to handle this problem? (Government, non-profit agencies, family members, community?) Why does this problem exist? What social issue does it concern? Cite your research from Part I using APA or MLA formatting.

2. Research through experience. Take action regarding your social issue. (See highlighted text below) Ex. Volunteer in a soup kitchen, perform a park cleanup, visit a nursing home, read/tutor/coach students, create and distribute an informative flier, inform others about sustainable living, help at a local boys and girls club, collect donations for local animal shelter, etc. to learn more about the issues and some potential solutions. (In light of the current pandemic taking place, you may draw upon a past service you have participated in, do a service that doesn’t require you going out and interacting with others, or make a plan for a service you will do at a future date).

After completing step 2, answer the following questions: How did/would you contribute? What did/could you learn from your experience? How did/would you feel about the contribution you made/will make?

3. Brainstorm solutions: What can we do to address this problem? How can it be solved? Reduced? Policy proposal? Community awareness/action? Website? Education? Generate LOTS of ideas – at least fifteen. Be creative!

4. Evaluate solutions. Which solution is the best? Propose a solution you could conceivably take part in: What are the advantages/disadvantages to this solution. Who would be responsible for carrying out this solution?

5. Develop an action plan: How could you carry out your solution? How can you gain support? How might you deal with conflict?

6. Identify what critical and creative problem-solving skills were utilized for this project and discuss how these skills were transferred beyond a classroom exercise.

7. Reflection: “ Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” (Margaret Mead) What did you learn from this experience regarding civic responsibility?

What ideas about women have historically been used to keep them from physical activity and sport? How have those ideas changed over time but still work to keep women excluded and marginalized? What function does the concern over trans or intersex women serve in women’s sport?

/in /by

DISCUSSION ESSAY

Create a new Word document without your name, this will ensure I can grade with usernames hidden.

You will be graded on the clarity, composition, use of important concepts and depth of your argument(s).

Provide a brief summary of an article up on Blackboard (Week 13) focusing on a racial minority. What does it tells us about race in sport today? What are some similarities between what different racial-ethnic groups face in sport concerning race/racism?

What ideas about women have historically been used to keep them from physical activity and sport? How have those ideas changed over time but still work to keep women excluded and marginalized? What function does the concern over trans or intersex women serve in women’s sport?

Explain the general idea behind the concepts of the “sports-media-industrial complex” and “media sport.” What role does media play in sport today? How does it shape our understandings of race, gender, and sexuality?

 

Separate out the following events into: life/extinction events and tectonic/climatic events. Place each set of events in order from oldest to youngest on a timeline. Include the dates that you are responsible for knowing.

/in /by

Timeline earth and sciences

Review assignment – Timeline of Earth’s Major Events

  1. Separate out the following events into: 1) life/extinction events and 2) tectonic/climatic events.
  2. Place each set of events in order from oldest to youngest on a timeline.
  3. Include the dates that you are responsible for knowing.
  4. Highlight the eons, eras, periods and epochs you are meant to memorize.
  5. Note which eon, era and period each event is associated with.

Try your best to do this first without looking at your notes or the textbook.

  • Acasta gneiss
  • Amniotes evolve
  • Angiosperms appear
  • Banded Iron Formations appear
  • Basin and Range in the SW US forms
  • Birds evolve from therapods
  • Cascade continental volcanic arc forms
  • Coast Mountains of BC form
  • Colorado Plateau in the SW US starts to form/uplift
  • Columbia Plateau in the NW US forms/Yellowstone Hot Spot lavas erupt
  • Continental crust appears (oldest mineral grain).
  • Continental Glaciers first appear (earliest evidence)
  • Dinosaurs appear/true mammals appear
  • Eukaryotes appear (oldest molecular fossil)
  • Genus homo appears
  • Gymnosperms evolve
  • Himalayas start to form
  • Hominins appear
  • Homo sapiens appear
  • K-T mass extinction event
  • Land plants appear (preserved spores in fossil record)
  • Land vertebrates/earliest amphibians appear (Tiktaalic)
  • Liquid water first appears
  • Mammal-like synapsids appear
  • Placental mammals diversify
  • Metazoan fossils appear
  • Moon forms
  • Ocean crust appears (not oldest preserved)
  • Oceanic crust, oldest preserved
  • Pangea assembles/final formation of the Appalachian Mountains
  • Pangea starts to break up/Mid-Atlantic Ridge first forms
  • Permian mass extinction event/eruption of Siberian Trapp lavas

EAES 1121 NAME: _______________

  • Plate tectonics are active (first direct evidence)
  • Rocky Mountains of BC first form
  • Rodinia forms
  • Rodinia starts to break up
  • Snowball Earth ends
  • Snowball Earth forms
  • Stromatolites appear (oldest preserved prokaryotes)
  • Vertebrates/earliest fish appear

 

What does the “business case for CSR” mean? In an empirical study testing whether the business case generally holds, what might be an independent variable and what might be a dependent variable? In an empirical study of whether ownership form matters for CSR, what might be an independent variable and what might be a dependent variable?

/in /by

Midterm

Answer any five (5) of the following questions.

Each answer should be no more than about 100 words.

Answers should be clear, concise (no padding or unnecessary roundabout language), and accurate. To get a good mark answers should demonstrate a thorough grasp of relevant concepts and information knowledge beyond common sense and common knowledge. Answers will be graded according to the knowledge and skill they display, as demonstrated by the amount, relevance and accuracy of content they contain and on the clarity with which they are written. A jumble of points pulled from lecture slides or readings will not constitute a good answer even if all are accurate and related to the topic.

Answer each question in your own words. Do not use quotations. This is an individual assignment. Answers with material copied from unattributed sources, or that match answers from other class members, will be treated as instances of academic dishonesty. It is therefore important that you do not collaborate on your answers.

Points may be deducted for failures to follow these formatting and submission instructions.

QUESTIONS—answer any 5 of the following, in order:

  1. What did Naaraayanan et al find regarding the effect of shareholder activism by public sector pension funds on the environmental performance and profitability of the firms they invested in?
  2. What is the difference between impact and financial materiality, and how do these give rise to different approaches to non-financial reporting?
  3. What do Shapira and Zingales think the DuPont C8 toxic waste case goes to show, and why?
  4. What is non-financial reporting (NFR)? Give an example of an NFR scheme. Indicate at least 2 uses made of NFR data
  5. What are the main criticisms of ESG funds made by Damodaran and Fancy?
  6. What is the relationship between equity ownership composition and CSR, according to empirical findings in Lee (2009) and Faller et al (2018)?
  7. What are ESG funds and how do they work?
  8. What does Auld say is the main challenge in the Phase II of design and implementation of “NSMD” certification programs?
  9. What does the “business case for CSR” mean? In an empirical study testing whether the business case generally holds, what might be an independent variable and what might be a dependent variable? In an empirical study of whether ownership form matters for CSR, what might be an independent variable and what might be a dependent variable?