Understand the historical and current trends of poverty among elderly populationsRecognize ageist thinking and ageist attitudes in individuals and institutionsLearn about elderly individuals’ risks of being mistreated and abused

Consider the biological, social, and psychological changes in agingDescribe the birth of the field of geriatricsExamine attitudes toward death and dying and how they affect the elderlyName the five stages of grief developed by Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Understand the difference between senior age groups (young-old, middle-old, and old-old)Describe the “graying of the United States” as the population experiences increased life expectanciesExamine aging as a global issue

Explain why sociology emerged when it didDescribe how sociology became a separate academic discipline

Explain what sociological theories are and how they are usedUnderstand the similarities and differences between structural functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism

Explain why it is worthwhile to study sociologyIdentify ways sociology is applied in the real world

Understand how values and beliefs differ from normsExplain the significance of symbols and language to a cultureExplain the Sapir-Whorf hypothesisDiscuss the role of social control within culture

Discuss the roles of both high culture and pop culture within societyDifferentiate between subculture and countercultureExplain the role of innovation, invention, and discovery in cultureUnderstand the role of cultural lag and globalization in cultural change

Differentiate between culture and societyExplain material versus nonmaterial cultureDiscuss the concept of cultural universalism as it relates to societyCompare and contrast ethnocentrism and xenocentrism

Identify and differentiate between different types of crimesEvaluate U.S. crime statisticsUnderstand the three branches of the U.S. criminal justice system