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Show COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ABSTRACTS HISTORY OF OLD AGE DIGITAL ARCHIVE Sara Yaxte (Matthew Basso) Department of History-MUSE University of Utah Unlike the growing number of gerontological studies examining the experiences of older Americans in recreational activities, there is little historical scholarship tracing the evolution of such leisure pursuits among the elderly throughout the history of the United States. This project, supervised by Dr. Matthew Basso, will gather primary source material documenting the experiences of old people, specifically old men, in America and their involvement in recreation and leisure during the last few centuries. Initial research suggests that such leisure activities are consistently influenced by socioeconomic status, location, and the physical ability of the elderly persons involved. Possible sources of information include oral histories, manuscripts, newspapers, and photographs that describe experiences of and attitudes toward the aged. Once collected, the primary source documents will be sorted and cataloged within a history of old age digital archive. The archive, which will be stored at the University of Utah's Marriott Library, will also include sections on religion and old age with a focus on Mormonism and gender, old age and early American government, and images of old age during the Cold War. Sara Yaxte Matthew Basso 43 |