Students in Dr. Jennifer Mather’s Psychology of Aging class got the opportunity to hone their presentation skills to the members of Age Friendly Lethbridge, formerly known as the Senior’s Community Forum.
The forum’s membership includes local service organizations like the Canadian Mental Health Association and the Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization, local government bodies such as the City of Lethbridge, and provincial government departments such as Service Alberta.
As a longtime member of the group, Mather is familiar with the needs of local seniors and the resources available to help them meet their needs. Having students present some of their class work to the group gave them a unique opportunity to share their findings with those who work with senior citizens.
The students looked at aging across various cultures, including Métis, Hutterite, Blackfoot, Inuit, Buddhist and Japanese. They reported finding similarities in some values, such as the importance of family and respect for elders, and disparities both between and within cultures.