The average 65-year-old man in the U.S. will live to be 84, and the average 65-year-old woman will live to be 87— half of us will live past those ages; and the number living to 100 is increasing. What do our friendships and other social connections have to do with our longevity prospects? We’ll find out in this course based on Ken Stern’s new book, Healthy to 100: How Strong Social Ties Lead to Long Lives.

Based on research evidence and his own examinations of five countries with superior longevity (Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Spain), Stern argues that social relationships are more important to longevity than diet, exercise, or healthcare. We’ll debate his contentions concerning the power of social connections and his analysis of some factors strengthening them: lifelong learning, working past retirement age, living arrangements, volunteering, confronting ageism, and, overall, tending to social health. In addition, we’ll look at the recommendations for making and keeping friends in the Stanford Longevity Project’s online newsletter, “Healthy to 100: The Science of Social Connection.”

The content of this course will be distinct from the content of the earlier BILL courses on aging, Not-So-Bad Things About Aging and Understanding Aging Through Fiction. It will be appropriate both for those who took the earlier aging courses and for those who want to begin to explore the social science of healthy aging. We all have relevant experience, which will inform our discussions.

Students are expected to have access to a computer and email.