Elisabeth O. Burgess

Dr. Burgess is a Social Gerontologist whose work focuses on sexuality and relationships over the life course, including issues of sexuality and intimacy for older adults, aging families and intergenerational relationships, and perceptions of aging, stereotypes, and ageism. Her research emphasizes where people are socially located (e.g. assisted living facilities) and how that location influences their experiences. (1) Dr. Burgess recently published several manuscripts (Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences; Journal of Applied Gerontology) based on data she and her research team collected with her National Institute on Aging funded project, “Negotiating Sexuality and Intimacy in Assisted Living.” This project explores the meaning and experience of sexuality and intimacy in six assisted living facilities through qualitative focus groups, interviews and observations; (2) Dr. Burgess is interested in aging families, social relationships, and intergeneration values transmission. She is currently a co-investigator on the NIA funded, “Convoys of Care” research project lead by Dr. Candace Kemp (Gerontology); (3) Dr. Burgess is currently working with an interdisciplinary team including Dr. Jaye Atkinson (Communication) and Dr. Brenda Blackwell (Georgia Southern University, Criminal Justice) exploring media portrayal of elder fraud and abuse. Understanding societal perspectives of elder abuse can aid in the creation of effective interventions to increase awareness and prevention of elder abuse; (4) Dr. Burgess has collaborated with Dr. Dawn Banauch (Kennesaw State University) on research exploring sexual attitudes and values of college students and published six articles from this research. They are currently working with GSU Sociology colleagues on a project examining the university climate for LGBT students; and (5) Dr. Burgess is co-editor (with Dr. Stombler, Banauch, Simonds, and Windsor) of a Sex Matters: The Sexuality and Society Reader now in its fourth edition, published by W. W. Norton.