Curriculum Modules in Minority Aging

These two curriculum modules are self-contained units focusing on older women of color (primarily African-American) and rural minority elders. The modules were developed as a product of a Model Gerontology Career Development Program in Institutions of Higher Education in Rural Areas through a consortium of colleges, universities, and agencies serving older adults in Virginia. The modules provide the basis for instruction for courses on gerontology that can be incorporated into two-year postsecondary curricula, four-year college programs, or postgraduate courses. The following components are included in each module: (1) introduction and rationale; (2) learning objectives; (3) content outline; (4) instructor's resource guide with cross-references to bibliographic materials, learning objectives; (5) post-test questions; and (6) annotated bibliography. Instructors may use these modules as free-standing units of instruction, e.g., for workshops or seminars. Or they can be incorporated into existing curricula in a variety of ways by selecting the resources and mode of instruction appropriate to the curriculum and level of instruction. The annotated bibliography for the women of color module includes 27 citations, and the bibliography for the rural minority elders module describes 19 resources. The content of the women of color unit includes information on the following: the term "of color," theoretical perspectives, research problems, objective measures of vulnerability, studies of mental health, family roles, caregiving patterns, social networks, problems in service use, and policy issues. The rural minority elders unit covers: these topics: demographics, how rural minority elders differ from nonminorities, characteristics of rural social structure, cultural characteristics, factors in formal service utilization, and in-migrating retirees. (KC)