M.C. “Terry” Hokenstad, Ph.D. – Distinguished University Professor and Ralph S. and Dorothy P. Schmitt Professor, Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University

Dear Colleagues:

It has become a cliché to refer to the “timebomb” of “China’s aging population.” That may be an exaggeration, like the “demographic tsunami” that supposedly threatens the United States. But in China’s case it is not part of a campaign to cut protections for the elderly. Instead, it reflects fears that China’s society and policies will not be adequate to prevent human misery. China is unusual in that the proportion of elderly in the population is rising rapidly at lower levels of wealth than in countries like Germany, Japan, or the United States, so before full implementation of social protections. Challenges are exacerbated by migration of younger workers from rural to urban areas, leaving aging parents behind. Chinese traditions of filial obligation to care for the aged thus are also threatened. Chinese policy-makers are well aware of the problem, but finding and implementing effective policies will be difficult. A worldwide leader in social work education and research, Professor Hokenstad has focused especially on aging issues worldwide.

All best regards,
Joe White
Luxenberg Family Professor of Public Policy and Director, Center for Policy Studies

About Our Guest

M.C. “Terry” Hokenstad holds the title of Distinguished University Professor at Case Western Reserve University. He is the Ralph S. and Dorothy P. Schmitt Professor at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, and also serves as Professor of Global Health in the School of Medicine. In a career spanning more than four decades, Hokenstad is recognized as a worldwide leader in social work education and research. He is a past president of the North American and Caribbean Region of the International Association of Schools of Social Work, and has served as president of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and chair of the International Committee for the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). He has been a trustee of the National Council on Aging and the National Conference on Social Welfare. He is a member of the United Nations’ Non-Governmental Organization Committee on Aging, and served on the U.N. Technical Committee responsible for drafting the International Plan of Action on Aging. In 2002, he was named to the United States delegation to the U.N.’s World Assembly on Aging. A prolific scholar, Hokenstad has authored nine books and numerous articles, chapters, and monographs, in the fields of comparative social welfare, care of older people, and social work practice and education. In addition, he has served as editor-in-chief of The International Social Work Journal and co-editor of special issues of publications such as Aging International, Social Policy & Administration, the Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, and the Journal of Applied Social Sciences. He serves on the editorial board of several other scholarly journals.

Where We Meet

Mather House is located next to the Thwing student center two buildings to the right of Kelvin Smith Library on Euclid Avenue. Please enter the front door to Mather House and turn right. Mather House Room 100 is at the end of the hall.

Parking Possibilities

The most convenient parking is the lot underneath Severance Hall. We regret that it is not free. From that lot there is an elevator up to street level labeled as Thwing Center.

Friday Lunch Upcoming Topics and Speakers:

October 16: The Issues About Issue 3, The Ohio Marijuana Legalization Initiative. With Mark Naymik, Columnist, The Plain Dealer.

October 23: Energy, Climate, and the Historian’s View of the Future. With Peter A. Shulman, Associate Professor of History.

October 30: From “9 to 5” to What? New Work Patterns and Their Implications. With Jenny Rae Hawkins, Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics.

November 6: A Year Away from the 2016 Election…. With Paul Herrnson, Professor of Political Science, University of Connecticut.

November 13: Why Virtual Schools are Growing So Fast, and What it Might Mean for the Future of Public Education. With Peter Robertson, Senior Vice President of School Operations, Connections Education.

November 20: Integrating the Inner City Through Mixed-Income Development. With Mark Joseph, Associate Professor at MSASS and Director, National Initiative on Mixed-Income Communities; Taryn Gross, Program Manager for the Initiative, and Emily Miller, Project Coordinator for the Initiative. Co-sponsored with the Schubert Center for Child Studies. ***Alternate Location: Mandel Community Studies Center Room 115, 11402 Bellflower Road***

November 27: Thanksgiving Break

December 4: Making Clean Energy Work. With Walter Money, Whole House Energy Solutions.