Overview

Topics may include:

• Social gerontology - an oveview
• What is a community? Definitions and concepts of community.
• Representations of community: complexity and diversity.
• Understanding community - social support, obligation, conjugal roles and social networks
• Communities and identity
• Research approaches to community studies
• Social network typologies, health and wellbeing
• Fraility
• Older life and social network
• Social networks and mental wellbeing
• Research approaches

Learning Outcomes

• Critically evaluate and analyse approaches to understanding and utilising social networks in social gerontology and their contribution to improving the support of older people.

• Critically evaluate and analyse the mechanisms for developing resilience within communities and its relevance in social gerontology.

• Demonstrate an in depth knowledge and understanding of how communities and social networks relate to health and wellbeing for older people.

• Demonstrate an in depth knowledge of the concepts of community and key theories underpinning community studies