Sociology professor Meika Loe and her students continue to explore the issue of aging as they collaborate with local elders on poignant digital stories.
Thirteen students in Loe’s Sociology of Age, Aging, and the Lifecourse class worked closely with area residents in creating three-minute films about the residents’ lives.
This is the second year in which Loe had students work on the digital projects. The most recent films were shown for the first time at a well-attended reception November 30 and are now available .
“After last year’s successful pilot, the word was out in Hamilton and on campus, and all participants really understood the goals of the project,” she said. “Elders worked with students on every aspect of production, from scripting to archival research.”
Loe writes a about aging, and she recently concluded a three-year research project on upstate New Yorkers age 85 and older, who are successfully living at home.
That was the topic of a three-session she taught through the university’s Upstate Institute and its Lifelong Learning Program.
Loe discovered that there is a great deal of interest among local elders in investigating what the community can do to support aging at home. They discussed issues such as transportation, home care, meal delivery, and companionship in the Hamilton area.
Participants were keen on exploring the idea of establishing a local resource center for supporting aging in place. “It was exciting to be part of these preliminary conversations, which really were guided by the participants themselves,” she said.
Loe noted that several participants in the lifelong learning course had worked on digital stories of their lives with students in her sociology course.
The two courses — one taught on campus, the other in the village of Hamilton — helped foster several cross-generational relationships that greatly benefited both students and elders.
“In many ways, the digital stories served as a fitting finale to the two courses that focus on the construction of meaningful lives,” said Loe.