Aging, Immigration & Carework: A Literary Approach to Teaching Gerontology

Abstract

This paper describes the use of a novel from the 1980s, Kate Quinton’s Days which documents an Irish immigrant’s challenges related to health, finances, housing, and the complex navigation of a fragmented health care system and social services, as a pedagogical tool in the classroom. The objectives were to bring to light to the topic of aging in the context of issues related to the experience of care work, immigration, and long-term care in later life. The authors describe the integration of a variety of pedagogical tools and the professor’s guided learning process a way to assist in informing students’ on the challenges that older persons and their care partners face as they attempt to navigate the landscape of care and identity . Reflections from the undergraduate gerontology students are highlighted, including how students were able to connect with the narrative of the protagonist, Kate Quinton, through her journey.

Keywords: immigration, carework, aging, learning through literature

DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/65-06

Publication date: February 29^th 2020