script/ proposal paper

Instructions: Life Review Paper

(250 points Total: Proposal/ Script 30 points + Final Paper 220 points)

A Life review is a naturally occurring, universal process consisting of reminiscence, thinking about oneself, and a reconsideration of previous life experiences and their meaning. You will be doing a Life Review on an older adult (65 years or older), by interviewing them. This Life Review assignment can be done with a family member, a loved one, a friend etc. DO NOT ASK SOMEONE YOU DO NOT TRUST, I DO NOT WANT YOU UNCOMFORTABLE OR IN A COMPRIMISING SITUATION. Ultimately, I would love for you to interview someone you have a connection with and someone you would like to know more about (as long as they are 62+). If finding an older adult is an issue for you, please email me by 12/31/19 (miriam.henan@csulb.edu) so we may figure something out for you. If you do not let me know by 12/31/19, I will assume you have someone you can interview and are moving along with the assignment.

The “Life Review Paper” will have two submissions:

1. Proposal / Script (Due by 11pm, on 1/3/20)

2. Final Life Review Paper (Due by 11pm, on 1/17/20)

Format and Submission:

Submissions will be made via Dropbox on BeachBoard. The Final Life Review Paper should be 6-9 pages long (do not exceed 9 pages) and are due on the dates stated above. These submissions must be typed in Times New Roman, size 12 font, double spaced, and in APA (6th ed.) format with in-text citations and include a Title Page, Abstract, and Reference Page (Title, Abstract and Reference pages are not included in total page count). I will accept late papers; however, you will be penalized 7 points for each day it is late (unless you have an excused absence and provide documentation of the situation (such as doctors note, family issue, jury duty etc.), in which case, keep me in the loop.

Grading:

Use the assignment guidelines below to compose an A+ paper, if you include the necessary components of this paper in APA format, you will do just fine 😊 The Point Scale is as follows:

Proposal / Script (2-3 pages): 30 points

Final Life Review Paper (6-9 pages): 220 overall points distributed as following:

Interview: 100 points

Application of Theory: 60 points

Reflection: 40 points

Paper organization, grammar, spelling, APA, etc.: 20 points

Background Information for our Life Review Paper – Why this paper is important for our class?

Life review, as described by Robert Butler, is a naturally occurring, universal mental process prompted by the realization of a foreshortened life expectancy. It potentially proceeds toward a reorganization of the self, including the achievement of such characteristics as wisdom and serenity in the aged. The process consists of reminiscence, thinking about oneself, and a reconsideration of previous life experiences and their meaning. The task of a life review is to evaluate one’s life and accomplishments and to accept the whole, both the good and the difficulties, as all necessarily a part of one’s own

individual life. This sense of embracing life confirms that one’s story has been “a meaningful adventure in history.”

The life review process takes place gradually over a period of years for the older person and an interested other person usually assist the older adult by taking an oral history. The history can be taken over a period of several sessions and may be tape recorded (when consented to). The results are life long- lasting memories, which may be given to the older adult or their family members and kept as a keepsake and shared with younger family members.

Reference: "Life Review." Encyclopedia of Aging. Retrieved March 15, 2018 from

Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/education/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-

and-maps/life-review

Instructions on how to conceptualize / write your Life Review Paper:

Proposal/ Script (30 points, Due 1/3/20, by 11pm): Prior to writing your Final Life Review Paper, you will need to complete and submit (via

Dropbox) the “Proposal / Script”. This submission will be graded, and feedback will be provided shortly after submission. Only after this submission is graded and you receive feedback, should you start working on your interview/ paper.

Proposal (1 page): First you are required to submit a proposal of how you will complete this assignment. Compose 1 page on what you know about this person and what you hope to know or understand about this person. In addition, the Proposal should answer the following questions:

 Who are you interviewing? (relation to you, age, gender and any other demographic information you would like to include).

 Where will this interview take place? (Describe the setting, date and time if you have that information)

 Why did you choose this person?  What have you always wondered about this person?  What is your comfort level with this assignment?  What are your concerns and what are you looking forward to in completing this

assignment?  Which theory of aging do you foresee your interviewee experiencing and why?

(acquaint yourself with the theories prior to the actual interview so you are prepared to assimilate the theory with the older adult. The theories are listed below.)

The Script: After your proposal, you will need to come up with a series of questions (script) that you will want to ask the older adult you are interviewing. These questions should cover the history of the person’s life and capture the essence of who they are. These questions should also help you assess the older adult using a theory model (possible theories below). While developing the questions, please have in mind the theoretical approach you will use to assess the older adult.

There is not a specific number of questions you should come up with, however, a good set of questions for a paper of this caliber will round to an average about 15 questions. The questions should be derived from our course concepts such as chronic disease, biology of aging, love and intimacy, social interactions, living arrangements, economic security, productive aging, retirement, death and dying, etc. Please stay respectful of any topic your interviewee does not want to discuss. In writing this paper, think of yourself as a qualitative researcher. Meaning, in this process you have the chance to design your research study, conduct your own case study, and later discuss its results. Your Proposal / Script is the first step to designing your case research study!

Final Life Review Paper (220 points, Due 1/17/20, by 11pm): This is the final submission of this paper and must include The Interview (including the setting

portion of your proposal), Theory Application, and Reflection. The Interview (4-6 pages): Please include the highlights from the “setting” portion of your

Proposal with this portion of the paper, as you are telling the story of the life of an older adult, you want to give the reader a good amount of detail of their background. This section is written in paragraph format in descriptive writing form (example is provided on page below, along with recommendations for the interview).

Application of Theory (1-2 pages): This portion allows you to coin learned course material to your interview. In this section, incorporate what you learned in class, into this interview. Please state and define the theoretical approach(s) you are using to analyze the interviewee. It is a good idea to describe the older adult’s wellness and capabilities at the time of interview. Show your understanding of course concepts’ in your application to the interviewee. Three citations necessary (any material presented in this course can be used), don’t forget: whenever you cite a source you need to give the appropriate APA reference.

Reflection (1 page): Reflect on what you learned from this assignment. Address elements not only learned from the older adult, but also the interview processes and application of course concepts. Moreover, state what you learned from this writing process. Describe what you would have done different through this process and explain why. Also, briefly describe your own personal reactions associated with one’s own aging process.

Possible Theories of Aging to use for your paper, please refer to your text and outside sources for more theories and or detailed information on these theories (pick at least 1):

 Accumulative Waste Theory  Activity and Continuity Theory  Aging-Clock Theory  Autoimmune Theory  Biology of Aging Theory  Cellular Theory  Disengagement Theory  Error Catastrophe Theory  Modernization Theory  Optimization with Compensation Theory  Wear-and-Tear Theory  World-we-have-lost Syndrome

Recommendations on how to conduct your interview

Begin by briefly expressing your interest in learning about the life of the older adult’s life and set an appointment for a convenient time and place where the interview will take place. Explain that you will use this interview as a class assignment and ask for permission from the older adult at this time to share the interview with your professor/class (you do not need to mention real names in your paper if you do not want to). Interview your subject in a quiet location. With permission, you can use a recorder device to register the interview process and your subject’s answers. By recording the interview rather than taking notes, it will give you the chance to focus on other types of communication, such as body language, facial expression, etc. which will help with your descriptive skills while writing your paper. Make sure the older adult is comfortable and is seated in a position to be heard (you could also maintain eye contact if in the elder’s cultural background eye contact is a form of being polite.) Allow adequate time for the interview but do not prolong more than two sessions.

After conducting the interview, you will then write up the questions and answers to the interview in paragraph format. When writing up the interview be as descriptive as possible. You must use critical thinking skills to make the experience flow and you want to allow the reader to feel as if they experienced the interview for themselves. Thus, do not just simply state I asked her if she was married and she replied her husband died 7 years ago. Instead describe the reactions and report in descriptive detail. >Example of Descriptive Detail Writing:

As we sat near the window a cool breeze came in the room, she grabbed her blanket around her

shoulder and pulled it tightly to warm herself. I asked Mrs. Hudson if she had ever been married, adding

a smile to soften the question. She replied: “I was married for 42 years to the love of my life, Charles”.

She paused, it seemed for an eternity, and then continued, “… he passed away 7 years ago, and I think of

him each day. Be sure to use descriptive words and transitions to make this portion of the paper flow.

A final note:

This is not only a writing assignment. It is also designed to give you experience with interviewing, work and learn from an older adult and expand on your writing skills. Give it your best effort, and you will learn something valuable by listening to a real-life story. The Life Review Interview should present a full picture of your subject’s life. Details help. To accomplish this, you will need to be an engaged listener, involving yourself in the person’s story, and not just completing a class assignment. You may need to interview the person twice, going back for more detailed answers in areas that interest you. At times, you may need to rephrase some of the questions to make them better understood. You may need to prompt the older adult, using such phrases as “tell me more,” “I think I understand, you were…” etc. Do not force the person to go into detail on a particular topic if he/she is really uncomfortable! Allow the interviewee to talk about what interests him/her but, move him/her along so you can have a story that covers the whole life. You can get the interview moving along by saying things like, “I would like to hear more on that later if we have time. Now, I’d like to ask you about…”

I am here to help, so please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions.

Final Life Review Paper (6-8 pages): 220 overall points:

 The Interview (100 points, 4-6 pages): Highlights from the “setting” portion of your Proposal, detail of their background, Descriptive paragraph form interview.

 Application of Theory (60 points, 1-2 pages): Displayed leaned course material, Stated and defined the theoretical approach(s) you used to analyze the interviewee. At least three citations in APA format.

 Reflection (40 points, 1 page): Reflected on what you learned from this assignment. Described what you would have done different through this process with explanation. Brief description of your own personal reactions associated with one’s own aging process.

 Organization, stayed within page length guidelines (6-8 pages), grammar, spelling,

APA (title page, abstract, in text citations and reference page): 20 points