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MA/PhD Theses Abstracts of Current Students & Alumni |
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Sopkin, James S., August, 1981 - AGING, ADVOCACY AND ANTHROPOLOGY: A CASE STUDY
Abstract: This thesis is primarily concerned with the description and analysis of the Coalition of Senior Citizens, Incorporated, as a case study of a senior citizen advocacy organization of a sociopolitical nature. Of particular interest is the impact of the anthropological approach and perspective on the Coalition as it seeks to achieve its objectives in the local community. In order to provide an anthropological background and cross-cultural perspective for the discussion of the Coalition, Chapter Two overviews the concept of l'agell from an anthropological standpoint, discusses physiological markers of aging, and comparatively reviews the traditional status, role and function of the elderly in selected non-Western and Western societies. In Chapter Three, the traditional role of the aged in the United States is discussed, as well as the historical circumstances which underlie its development. Additionally, the newly emerging role of the American elderly is examined, resulting in the postulation of a dual hypothesis: that the American elderly have been the most discriminated against of the aged in the Western world; and that, of the Western aged, they have shown the greatest inclination to attempt to improve their circumstances through sociopolitical behavior. The development of senior citizen advocacy organizations is discussed as both a cause and a result of such change. Chapter Four is devoted to a discussion of the Coalition of Senior Citizens, Incorporated, as a case study, and of the impact of the anthropological approach and perspective upon its development in the local community. Proposals and recommendations for the future direction of the Coalition are listed and discussed in Chapter Five. The thesis is then concluded with a consideration of the interface between anthropology and gerontology, and of the potential for anthropological contributions to the study and advocacy of the aged.
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