The Gerontologist, Vol 34, Issue 6 822-827, Copyright © 1994 by The Gerontological Society of America
Taking next steps: gerontological education, research, and the literary imagination
M Holstein
Institute for Medical Humanities, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77555.
This article interprets two literary works--both about old women who have
suffered strokes and are near death--and argues that literature can make
essential contributions to gerontological research and education by
developing sensitivity to theory, empathic understanding, and
self-awareness. This article examines these fictional accounts against two
theoretical perspectives--the political economy of aging and theories of
personal meaning--and encourages epistemological experimentation.
