Dr.Edward L. Schneider, M.D / Dr.David Peterson, Ph.D.

STUDYING GERONTOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
A WORKSHOP ON GERONTOLOGY
presented by the faculty of the ETHEL PERCY ANDRUS GERONTOLOGY CENTER of the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
for the Senior Renaissance Foundation of Japan
July 6-10, 1998

Dr. David Peterson has prepared the curriculum for Senior Life Advisers (SLA) and the faculty of USC are lecturing on gerontology. Staying at the USC dormitories, the course will consist of “5 days of studies devoted exclusively to gerontology.” By concentrating studies, starting from the basics of “why was gerontology born?” to proceed to “the real substance of gerontology” and “what relationships these studies have to the individual and to society” and “what fields of study should continue to be studied into the future” shall be understood, to secure an overall grasp of what gerontology is. Thereby through SLA, we are hoping to create and establish an easily understood “gerontology in Japan.”

There are about 3,000 universities in the U.S. of which 1,600 are studying this sector with relevant professors. However these studies do not exist in any of our universities in Japan. Why is this? This seems to indicate the state of education in our country. It is particularly because of this absence that we wish to take advantage of this opportunity through SLA to bring forth gerontology as a human study into our academic world. Academism dislikes simple language. Therefore the simplest things cannot become common knowledge. Through the knowledge of SLA, it can be digested and understood in simple language and if it can be taught through examples directly related to our daily lives, these studies shall invariably become a part of our society.

In our country today, all of our paradigms are undergoing changes. Under such conditions, the role that these studies may play shall be extremely important and shall provide us with an illuminating direction that our nation should follow.

A WORKSHOP ON GERONTOLOGY

Message from USC / Rachel Seymour

Dear Mr. Kawai,

Koji asked me to write to you about how I got into the field of Gerontology. I came to USC in 1992 as a Freshman theater major specializing in stage management. My mother told me to take advantage of all of the wonderful opportunities here at USC by taking courses in all of the best schools. First semester my freshman year, I took the Psychology of Aging and Development in the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology in order to fill a general education requirement. I loved the course and hated the theater department. In October, I officially changed my major to Gerontology. I remember thinking that the opportunities in the field of aging were unlimited!

My junior year of college I took the Diversity in Aging course taught by Dr. David Peterson. He was such an incredible teacher that I decided to ask him for a job. At this point, I was still a little unsure of what I wanted to do for a career with my degree in Gerontology. Working with Dr. Peterson on the 20 year survey of graduates of the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology gave me my direction.

I became very interested in the development of gerontological education, and what alumni of gerontology programs do after graduation. I have worked on a research project that sought to assess employers in the field of aging's attitudes towards gerontological education and their hiring practices. I have also worked on the Andrus Gerontology Center's new distance education project. Dr. Peterson and I put the Diversity in Aging course on the Internet.

I plan to begin a Ph.D. in Public Health with a specialty in Health Promotion and Education for older adults next year. After obtaining a Ph.D., I plan to teach at the university level and do research. One of my primary interests is incorporating education in aging into medical, nursing, dental, and pharmacy schools.

I hope that I have answered the questions to your satisfaction. Please feel free to contact me if you need any more information or if you have any other questions.

Thank you.

Message from USC / Koji Miyauchi, Master of Gerontology at USC

It was great experience for me to study with people of The Foundation for Senior Renaissance, an intensive gerontology program offered by the world-famous faculty in the field of aging. The program comprehensively covered gerontological topics over 16 classes such as government programs on aging, preparation for retirement, volunteerism, healthy aging, improving mental functioning, counseling the elderly, intergenerational relations, home care, older people and family, death and dying, and so on. The participants, 47 senior life advisors with 2 camera clues lead by Mr. Yamato Kawai, general manager of the foundation, lived in a on-campus dormitory, ate at a on-campus restauraunt, and studied, studied, studied until they fell down onto their beds.

Through the exciting discussion in the classes helped by an beautiful interpretor, I have learned that there is no boundary between Japan and America concernig aging-related problems of gerontology. Both of the world leading countries are struggling with the same problems in this era of aging.

The second things I have learned is that there is no boundary on gerontological problems between the young and the old. I am 27 years old, who could be said to be young, and the participants of this time are in their 50's, 60's and 70's, who could be said older. However, both of us flied over the pacific ocean, though I happened to come here earlier, to study gerontology at USC gerontology center. Namely, our goals, purposes and desires are exactly the same regardless of the chronological ages.

As my conclusion, I really would like to say that gerontolgy can go beyond the nations and the generations in this aging planet. I really appreciated this time of wonderful opportunity to join the historical workshop cooporated by The Foundation for Senior Renaissance and Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center of the University of Southern California. I believe that this is the very begining for both of them to cooperate in order to solve the very difficult problems of aging. This is the challenge tasked for all of the world. There is no doubt at all that The Foundation for Senior Renaissance and USC Gerontology Center be the leaders for this huge callenge. I am lucky and happy to have witnessed the historical start of the two best partners connected by Gerontology.

Thank you.

USCでのジェロントロジー講座を終えて／SLA：織田 弥生

南カリフォルニア大のアンドラス・ジェロントロジーセンターは、1973年、AARP40万人の基金により設立された。

私達はそこで7月5日から10日迄、ジェロントロジー講座を受けることができた。“ジェロントロジーとは”に始まり、“倫理と高齢化、死”までの15科目からなる5日間の授業は、密度の濃いものであった。その間ハンティントン図書館と庭園、日系人の住むリタイアメントホームの見学。そして総勢45人を温かく迎えてくれたピーターソン教授宅でのディナーパーティーは、心通う楽しい一時だった。奥様が用意して下さった美味しいお食事をいただきながら、庭の前方に拡がる山並みのパノラミックな美しい景色を、満喫した。

今回の講座を通して、加齢とはすべての人が経験してゆく人生の過程であり、同時に人間としての成長、発達も努力し続ける限り、人生の途中で止まるものではなく、これらがどの時期の経験からも孤立するものはないことを学んだ。この学問が目指すもの、それは高齢化が進む中で、人々と社会が一体となって健やかな価値ある人生を全うすることである。最後にピーターソン教授が言われた“いくらよい知識や考えがあっても、それを実現する力がなければ『無』に等しい”という言葉は今も心に響いている。

ジェロントロジー研修に参加して／SLA：河合 恵嗣

ピーターソン博士を始め各先生方の熱心な授業。皆何十年ぶりかの学生気分。本場ジェロントロジーに触れて時間が足りなくなるほどの質疑応答、教授陣もびっくりしていた。

15のカリキュラムは、現実の日本の社会問題と重なり合うところが多々ある。逆に日本の方が先行し手本をアメリカ側に見せる、こんな現象も起きている。世界一と自負している図書館にある蔵書、日本のエイジング文献が少ないことである。日本の本屋さんには老年に関する本が山積みされている、学術文献でないので入っていないのか日本のジェロントロジーのレベルが低く見られているのか、課題のような気がする。

日を変えて日系人ケアーホーム訪問。お国柄や事情によっても違ってくるが一人当たりの面積は広いし一見ゆとりのある部屋のように見えるが、アメリカ人が入居している施設や障害者ホームの方が、立食・座食の逆転になる近い将来住環境を考えていくうえで参考になる。例えば、我々が日常使用していたドミトリーのドアーの開閉、内からは簡単に開くが外からは開かない。これを日本式家屋にどのように取り入れるか、アレンジして適材適所に組み込めるかということも。

自分なりのテーマとして住環境に視点を置いてみた。平均的日本家屋に車椅子は合わないと言うなら、日本型の部屋用車椅子を作ればいい。いろいろな分野での発想の転換がこれからの健常者・老年者・障害者が共に快適に過ごせる社会になればいい。今回の研修から得た大きな収穫でした。