The AAA meetings were, if anything too busy with Aging and Life Course events – the index listed 23!!! The ones I could get to all have big crowds – The first shown in photos was the interlocutor event where Athena McLean and I interviewed Jennifer Cole, Deborah Durham about their book, Globalization: Youth, Age, and Family in the New World Economy, along with two other book contributors. We also celebrated with Cava and cookies the others of new books and began the Silent Auction for the Climo Student Travel Award – we collected almost $200 dollars.
Our business meeting was also packed and a highlight was the presentation by Heather Synder, of the Alzheimer’s Association about new grant opportunities for national and international research.
The AAGE dinner Saturday night had 15 people in a wonderful small Greek restaurant where half the crowd were new young members.
(below are notes on the meeting compiled by Jay Sokolovsky)
Joint meeting of AAA Interest Group on Aging and the Life Course and AAGE
Jay Sokolovsky and Rebecca Berman Presiding
Welcome & Introductions by Jay – handing out of guide to meetings (over 20 papers, sessions and events in program( and the 2013 guide to research and teaching resources; also at: http://faculty.usfsp.edu/jsokolov/ageguide13.htm)
1. Special presentation about grants opportunities from Heather Synder, Director of Medical and Scientific Relations for the Alzheimer’s Association – broad discussion about qualitative and cross-cultural grant activities. She encourage our members to write to her about opportunities at hsnyder@alz.org.
2. Reports (Elections; Treasurer; Margaret Clark Award ; Jacob Climo Award; Publications; Media; bylaws revisions)
Biggest discuss was about AAQ by Jonathan Skinner and Phil Kao,
Key items: need to change to biannual and hence to change the name, perhaps to the Aging and Anthropology Journal or just Aging and Anthropology; move to have the journal electronically hosted by the University of Pittsburgh with the possibility of making it open access. Some concern by members that this not be done immediately but perhaps at a later stage when membership enlarges significantly.
3. Report of the IUAES Aging and Aged Commission – Lang Lang reported that the IUAES Commission on Aging and the Aged has voted to change its name the Aging and the Life Course. It is in the process of building a diverse board and is currently seeking someone from South America. There was a large number of aging related sessions at the IUAEAS meeting in Manchester this past Aug. There will be a intercongress in Japan in 2014 and the next major conference will be in 5 years in Brazil.
4. Member survey put on hold until bylaws revised. However, ballots were given to AAGE members who voted on the spot AND the new bylaws passed.
5. Wide discussion of Interest in AAGE workshop? Platform (face-to-face, virtual) Topics? Best time? Also talked about using some of our budget to have events at the SFAA or SMA meetings.
Jay Sokolovsky
