title: Higher education in gerontology: A comparison of master's programs in Japan, Taiwan, and Turkey.
abstract: As of 2015, there is only one master's program of gerontology acknowledged by each of the following countries: Japan, Taiwan, and Turkey. All three programs have fewer than 15 years of history. These three countries differ in society types based on the proportion of older adults, rate of population aging, and population size. However, in terms of gerontological education, they seem to share great commonalities. Common challenges are a lack of awareness of the field of gerontology, insufficient numbers of gerontology programs and faculty members to produce trained gerontologists within society, and the inadequacy of opportunities for trained gerontologists to play an active role in various fields. This study intends not only to compare the differences and similarities among three countries and programs, but also to elucidate characteristics of a unique gerontology program in each country and identify challenges and possibilities from the perspective of gerontological educators.
authors.affiliation: a Graduate School of Gerontology , J. F. Oberlin University , Tokyo , Japan.|b Research Team for Social Participation and Community Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ikeuchi
authors.affiliation: c Institute of Gerontology, College of Medicine , National Cheng Kung University , Tainan , Taiwan.
authors.forename: Feng-Hwa
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: d Department of Gerontology , Akdeniz University , Antalya , Turkey.
authors.forename: Jason K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Holdsworth
authors.affiliation: d Department of Gerontology , Akdeniz University , Antalya , Turkey.
authors.forename: Özgür
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Arun
authors.affiliation: c Institute of Gerontology, College of Medicine , National Cheng Kung University , Tainan , Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shan-Tair
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: d Department of Gerontology , Akdeniz University , Antalya , Turkey.
authors.forename: Ikuko
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.affiliation: a Graduate School of Gerontology , J. F. Oberlin University , Tokyo , Japan.
authors.forename: Hisao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Osada
mesh_terms: D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003479:Curriculum; D004500:Education, Graduate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013624:Taiwan; D014421:Turkey
keywords: Gerontological education; Japan; master’s program; Taiwan; Turkey