Research on Downsizing the Material Convoy: the Household Moves Project CD

Why is it so hard to part with things? Households accumulate possessions over time and it is difficult to part with them. Hav- ing gone to the trouble to keep things, how can one release them? This session will present findings and insight from a na- tional scholarly study on possessions and household moves in later life, funded by the National Institutes of Health and con- ducted by University of Kansas researchers. The purpose of this study is to learn more about how people make decisions about their possessions during such a move, and choosing what items to keep, discard, give away, or sell. Review the reasons for possession and dispossession across the life course. Examine the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional tasks that downsizing represents for elders. Articulate the satisfactions of household disbandment. Recognize the family stake in downsizing by elders. Faculty: David J. Ekerdt, Ph.D., Director, Gerontology Center, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS