Dr. Carol A. Gaetjens Annenberg Hall Room 1st floor 2120 Campus Drive Evanston, IL 60208-0001 Phone: (847) 491-4329

After graduation from Northewestern in 1991, Dr. Gaetjens created a MA in Gerontology Program at Northeastern Illinois State University. Her reseach interests are in cognitive and psycho-social development in the second half of life. In addition to teaching, Dr. Gaetjens maintains a private counseling practice as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

Year		Degree		Institution
1991		PhD, Human Dev & Social Pol		Northwestern University
1974		Masters in Social Work		Jane Addams School of Social Work U. of Illinois at Chicago
1969		Master of Arts in Teaching in Social Sciences		University of Chicago
1966		BA in Religion		Oberlin College

Year	Title
1991	Environmental Complexity and Self-reports of Cognitive Functioning in Older Men

SESP 372		Methods of Observing Human Behavior This course is designed to introduce students to basic methods for studying human behavior in non-laboratory settings - that is, in the "wild," and when the observer may have little more than a pencil and paper to aid their research. Such methods are generally considered to be "qualitative," although their content can also be subject to quantitative analysis. We will cover the basic philosophy and theory underlying human observation techniques, as well as methods for collecting observational data (including interviews). Working in collaborative teams, students will learn to formulate research questions, will engage in field data collection, and will analyze and write up the data they collect. These skills (and successful completion of this course with a grade of C- or higher) is required before SESP students begin their practicum.
SESP 203		Adulthood & Aging Designed for School of Education and Social Policy students, Adulthood and Aging provides an introduction to social policy in an aging society and an interdisciplinary study of adult development and aging, incorporating perspectives from life-span developmental psychology, sociology, anthropology, history and other social sciences. The first part of the course explores societal aging, that is, a society where the proportion of older people relative to other age groups is growing rapidly and requires the rethinking of social policies and the reallocation of government resources. The second part focuses on individual aging, with an emphasis on cognitive and personality changes in adulthood and later life and on the subjective experience of being “old.” An appreciation of the common patterns as well as the enormous variation in individual aging, by gender, social class and ethnicity is emphasized. Finally, the last section addresses the issue of ageism in contemporary Western societies. In combination, these perspectives put a “human face” on the societal and personal challenges that will soon face all of our graduates.
SESP 316		Moral Development & Human Values Moral development of the individual from several perspectives: age-development differences, cross-cultural and gender differences, relationship between moral reasoning and moral behavior.