Psych 360: Adult Development & AgingSpring 2014

Final Integrative Paper Assignment

Please read ALL of the following very carefully and ask for clarification if anything is unclear.

The topic for the final, integrative paper assignment is “Building Age-Friendly Communities.” In this paper, you will summarize and integrate four primary sources that address how the aging process has changed in recent decades and the prospects for healthy/successful aging, potential barriers to aging well, and what communities and societies can do to promote optimal developmental outcomes in later life.

Specifically, in a ~8 page essay (NOT including your cover page, references, or abstract) you should do integrate ALL of the following elements into a coherent, cohesive essay:

Note, none of the following references are complete APA references, so you cannot just cut and paste them into your reference section.

1.) Following a general introduction, summarize and critically analyze the following article:

Bowling, A. (2007). Aspirations for older age in the 21st century: What is successful aging? Pp. 263-297.

Your summary should focus on how the experience of aging has changed in recent decades and what it now means to age well, age successfully, etc., according to the research summarized in this article. You should also offer a critical evaluation of the model(s) of successful aging that emerge from the article. Based on other things you know and your own perspective on healthy aging, address the following: What does the article get right, what does it get wrong (and why), and/or what’s missing from this perspective?

2.) Next, address some of the local and global challenges that have created barriers to aging well by summarizing the following article:

Cheng, S., & Heller, K. (2009). Global aging: Challenges for community psychology, pp. 161-172.

Again, a critical perspective is encouraged.

3.) Finally, address how we might overcome some of the problems identified by Cheng & Heller (2009) and other challenges to aging well, and discuss some specific ideas for creating “age-friendly” communities and societies that will help seniors meet these challenges and achieve goals related to healthy/successful aging. Make sure you address multiple dimensions/aspects of successful aging (physical and mental health, social functioning/relationships, adaptation/coping, meaningful/productive engagement, etc.). For this component you will share your own ideas, but only after summarizing the following articles:

Plouffe, L., & Kalache, A. (2010). Towards global age-friendly cities: determining urban features that promote active aging, pp. 733-739. (AND accompanying WHO Age-Friendly Cities Checklist)

Scharlach, A. (2012). Creating aging-friendly communities in the United States, pp. 25-38.

General Guidelines

1.) Your paper should be a coherent, cohesive essay, with an introduction (including a thesis statement), conclusion, etc.

2.) You should be as thorough as possible in your summary and incorporation of the articles/chapters listed above. Don’t just summarize specific parts. Be sure to include a description of all the major theories, ideas, and research findings presented in these readings.

3.) Your paper MUST be stapled and it must have an APA-format cover page, page numbers and headers in the top right-hand margin of each page, 1-inch margins (no larger) on all sides, no larger than 12-pt. font (Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, or Garamond), double-spacing throughout (no extra spaces between paragraphs), and APA-format citations and references. I will immediately return any papers that do not conform to these guidelines, and you will accrue late penalties until you fix any deviations from them.

4.) If you include citations and references, but they are not in full or correct APA format, you may incur up to a 5% deduction (i.e., from your overall grade). Please refer to the APA resources posted on the website and the reference section of the syllabus. Please also note again that the readings listed above are NOT complete references (so you can’t just cut and paste).

5.) You MUST use the sources list above and may NOT draw on any external sources and you may NOT use the textbook as your primary source for any of the theories/concepts covered in the required articles/chapters. Please do not incorporate any other material from readings not assigned, do not just looks things up in your text, and do not incorporate any web-based resources or write a paper based on an internet search (e.g., Google, Wikipedia, Ask, etc.) of any of the concepts/theories included in the assignment. This is not the purpose of this assignment. The purpose is to read, analyze and integrate course material on your own. In addition to the readings listed above, you may consult the text book for additional material, but please do not rely on the text to summarize the work of any of the authors listed above (if applicable). In other words, you will need to demonstrate that you have read the primary sources you cite and reference in your paper by providing sufficient detail in your summary and by using a limited number of well-chosen direct quotations (e.g., one relatively SHORT quote per author).

6.) I encourage you to take advantage of the first draft option, particularly if you were unhappy with your grades on the first paper. The deadline for optional first drafts is Tuesday, April 8 by 5:00 PM. The deadline for final drafts is Tuesday, April 29 by 5:00 PM.

7.) Please submit both first and final drafts to turnitin.com, and hard copies to me. If you write a first draft, please re-submit your first draft to me (with my comments) when you hand in your final draft.

Evaluation Rubric

____1. The paper includes a general introduction with a clear thesis statement. It provides a relatively specific overview of what the paper will argue (including a brief summary of your perspective). In your thesis, and throughout the paper, you clearly articulate your own perspective regarding “age-friendly” communities (8 points).

Additional comments:

____2. Your summary of Bowling (2007) is accurate, complete and thorough. All major concepts, ideas, stages, and supporting research are explained and discussed, and illustrative examples are provided where appropriate (15 points).

Additional comments:

____3. Your summary of Cheng & Heller (2007)is accurate, complete and thorough. All major concepts, ideas, stages, and supporting research are explained and discussed, and illustrative examples are provided where appropriate (15 points).

Additional comments:

____4. Your summary of Plouffe and Kalache (2010) and the WHO guidelines is accurate, complete and thorough. All relevant concepts/theories/research are described and discussed, and illustrative examples are provided where appropriate (12.5 points; this piece is shorter than the others).

Additional comments:

____5. Your summary of Sharlach (2012) is accurate, complete and thorough. All relevant concepts/theories/research are described and discussed, and illustrative examples are provided where appropriate (15 points).

Additional comments:

____6. Your treatment of the articles includes analysis, synthesis, and/or critique. In other words, you go beyond summarizing the articles and fully integrate them into your argument. You go beyond what was discussed in class; it is clear that you grappled thoughtfully with the texts (10 points).

Additional comments:

____7. In summarizing the readings, you paraphrase well (i.e., you thoroughly rephrase text in your own words) and you paraphrase most of the time instead of relying too heavily on direct quotation. Your use of direct quotation is relatively infrequent, and the quotes you do use are relatively brief and are paired with proper citations (including quotations and page numbers). You use properly-formatted APA citations and references throughout (10 points).

Additional comments:

____8. Your writing is strong. I.e., there are no or few grammar errors, punctuation errors, awkward sentences. Each sentence makes sense on its own and in the context of the paper as a whole. Your topic sentences and transition sentences effectively guide the reader through the essay (10 points). PLEASE NOTE THAT HOW WELL YOU WRITE AND ARGUE YOUR CASE WILL ALSO BE REFLECTED IN YOUR SCORES FOR ALL OF THE OTHER ITEMS ON THIS CHECKLIST.

Additional comments:

____9. Your conclusion brings closure to the essay. I.e., it reiterates main points in your argument and addresses why the argument matters (4 points).

Additional comments:

____10. “Following directions” point: One point will be rewarded for meeting all the guidelines listed above under “General Guidelines,” #3) upon INITIAL submission (100.5 total points available).