Abstract
This paper examines the use of life histories as a methodfor uncovering patterns of successful aging in our society and for exploring how older people define successful aging. As a pedagogical tool, the life history can be used to enrich students' understandings of olderpeople and to demonstrate how later life is related to prior stages of life. This paper is based on my life history research and supervision of more than 250 students conducting life history projects. The life history project offers students the opportunity to personalize material in social gerontology courses by integrating the older person's life experiences with theories they have learned in class. It also sensitizes students to the impact of socialforces on successful aging. Through classpresentations on their collected life histories, students uncover the different ways older people define successful aging and meet the unique challenges of later life.
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