GERO 336: The Aging Family

The Aging Family examines family caregiving in depth — the caregiver-recipient relationship and the social, psychological, and economic cost of caregiving.

What GERO 336 covers

An examination of issues faced by aging families. Topics include the structure of family networks, solidarity and conflict between generations, types and quality of support given to and by the older person, and social roles (including role strain, conflict, and reward).

Emphasis is on understanding family caregiving: the experience of caregiving; the caregiver-recipient relationship; and the social, psychological, and economic cost of caregiving. The phenomenon of grandparents parenting grandchildren is covered. The changing nature of family relationships is analyzed from the perspective of gender, race or ethnicity, social class, age, and historical context.

Typical GERO 336 assignments

Expect an assignment requiring you to analyze a family caregiving scenario, addressing the social, psychological, and economic cost of caregiving.

Key topics in GERO 336

• Family caregiving dynamics
• Caregiver-recipient relationships
• Grandparents raising grandchildren
• Family relationships across gender, race, and class

Writing tips for GERO 336

Follow the assignment instructions and rubric line by line

UMGC assignments for GERO 336 are graded against a specific rubric or grading criteria your instructor provides — every requirement has to be visibly addressed. Skipping a requirement because it seems minor is one of the most common reasons a strong submission loses points.

Apply a specific theoretical perspective, not general observations about aging

Gerontology courses like GERO 336 draw on specific theoretical frameworks from psychology, sociology, and social gerontology — evaluators want to see a named theory or perspective applied to the topic, not general observations about older adults.

Address diversity — gender, culture, race, and socioeconomic status — explicitly

UMGC's gerontology curriculum consistently expects analysis to address how aging experiences vary by gender, culture, race, and socioeconomic status. A discussion of aging that treats older adults as a homogeneous group is one of the most common ways students lose points.

Why students seek help with GERO 336

Students sometimes describe caregiving experiences without addressing all three dimensions (social, psychological, economic) the course specifically requires — the rubric typically wants all three addressed together.

How GradeEssays helps with GERO 336

Share your caregiving scenario and rubric, and your writer will build an analysis addressing the social, psychological, and economic costs together.

Prerequisites and course context

GERO 336 has no listed prerequisites. Note: students may receive credit for only one of GERO 336 or GERO 496L.

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