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For further assistance with your assignment, contact Moninder Lalli, Liaison Librarian for Sociology/Anthropology at moninder_lalli@sfu.ca, or Nina Smart, Liaison Librarian for Gerontology, at 778.782.5043 or nsmart@sfu.ca (Monday to Thursday) at Belzberg Library or Ask a Librarian.
Course Description
"The structural and behavioral implications of aging. Topics include demographic aspects of aging; the relationship of aging to political, economic, familial and other social institutions; the psychological significance of aging. Students with credit for SA 420 and students may not take this course for further credit."
Note: for more information see SA/GERO 420's course outline or Canvas page. If there are discrepancies between information listed on this page and that in Canvas or instructor handouts, please refer to the latter.]
Essay
Start Your Research Here - This page gives you an overview of the research process, or in other words how to find materials for your essay.
Reference works
To get definitions, overviews of concepts, and suggested resources for your topic start with:
- A New Dictionary of the Social Sciences [online]
- Encyclopedia of aging [online]
- Handbook of aging and the social sciences [online]
- Aging in the social environment [online]
Handbook on aging and place [online]
Finding books
- Aging as a social process: Canadian perspectives [print]
- Aging by the book [print]
- Baby boomer health dynamics: How are we aging? [print]
- Fact book on Aging in B.C. and Canada (8th Edition, 2023)
Statistical overview, published by the Gerontology Research Centre at SFU - International Aging : Understanding the Diverse Experiences of Growing Old [online]
Search the SFU Library catalogue to find books on your topic. Sample subject headings:
- Aged
- Aged -- [name of country or region]
- Aged -- Canada
- Aging -- [name of country or region]
- Aging -- Social aspects
- Geriatrics
- Gerontology
- Nursing homes
- Older people -- Care
- Older people -- Family relationships
- Older people -- Health and hygiene
- Older people -- Services for
- Older people -- Social conditions
Finding journal articles
Start with: Ageline
The major database for gerontology topics. See An Introduction to the Ageline Database
PsycINFO
The major database for psychology
Sociological Abstracts
Theoretical and applied sociology, social science, and policy science
Canada Commons.
Canadian public policy documents from government and nonprofit organizations as well as think tanks
NOTE: Journal articles in SFU databases are generally scholarly; if you need to determine whether a journal is peer-reviewed see the FAQ What is a peer-reviewed journal? for more information
Useful sites
- Administration on Aging (US) - principal organization of the U.S Department of Health and Human Services which carries out the Older Americans Act, provides statistics and news related to the aging population
- BC Ministry of Health - provincial ministry for health providing reports and publications on health and aging
- SeniorsBC Family & Social Supports
- Report on Health and Aging in Canada Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA)
Covers: Sociodemographics; Retirement; Loneliness, Social Isolation, and Social Engagement;
Caregiving and Care Receiving; Health; Physical Function, Disability, and Psychological Health and Well-Being;
Lifestyle and Behaviour; Transportation Mobility; Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual (LGB) Aging - Statistics Canada, including Seniors, Census, and Aboriginal Peoples sections
Writing help
WriteAway! "free, fast, and ethical writing feedback"
Student Learning Commons, including:
Selected resources on writing essays:
- A guide to writing sociology papers [online]
- The Sociology Student Writer's Manual and Reader's Guide [online]
- The writer's handbook for sociology [online]
- Writing for social scientists: How to start and finish your thesis, book, or article [online]