We have exciting news that a new Penn Global Seminar will be added to the first time in the Sociology Department! Dr. Iliana Kohler will be teaching, "Global Aging—Challenges and Opportunities" where students will travel to Malawi. This course will be offered officially in Spring 2025.
Full description below:
Global Aging—Challenges and Opportunities Dr. Iliana Kohler, Department of Sociology; School of Arts and Sciences Travel to Malawi: This PGS explores the multifaceted implications of the worldwide phenomenon of population aging, a defining demographic, social and economic challenge of the 21st century. Global aging stems from rapid shifts in demographic patterns, including decreasing fertility rates, improvements in health care, and increases in longevity. Often misperceived as primarily impacting high-income countries, population aging in the 21st century is a global trend that affects nations across the development spectrum. The challenges and opportunities linked to aging exhibit significant variation contingent upon the by social, economic, and cultural contexts of diverse regions and responses to this challenge need to reflect the diversity of social, economic, institutional, and epidemiological contexts around the world. For example, while achieving intergenerational equity is a common thread across the globe, many low-income countries navigate at the same time rapid population growth and rapid population aging. In contrast, middle- and high-income countries face problems like an aging workforce, increasing old-age dependency ratios and other substantial ramifications for their social welfare systems. In this PGS, students will develop a comprehensive understanding of the diverse challenges and opportunities associated with global aging. The PGS will synthesize current research findings from demography, sociology, economics, epidemiology, public health, and healthcare policies, providing students with a multidisciplinary perspective on global aging. Students will also be familiarized with available aging data resources, and the ethical aspects of research with older individuals.