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CHAPTER 12: AGING AND INEQUALITY
THE SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF AGE How old are you?
The continuum of age shapes our attitudes and conceptions about how individuals of that age should act
“Act your age” Refers to the chronological age, or their
age based on from when they were born “The graying of America”
Average age of populace is increasing due to baby boomers, increased life expectancy, and decreased birth rates
“Act as you feel” The observable attributes such as
appearance, coordination, mental capacity, etc. that are used to assign people to age categories
TRENDS IN AGING Life expectancy
The average number of years that a group of people born in the same year, are expected to live
Cohort A group of people
born within a specified period of time
Depression-era babies, Baby-boomers, etc.
Gerontology The study of aging
and older people
AGE AND THE LIFE COURSE
Age stratification The inequalities, differences, segregation, or
conflict between age groups The lines between age groups are arbitrary and
there are many gray areas, but typically there is an expectation for the individuals of certain age groups Such as dependency and carefree attitudes in
childhood, moodiness and rebellion in adolescence, and social placement and familial life in young to middle adulthood
AG
E S
TR
ATIF
ICATIO
N IN
OU
R
SO
CIE
TY
As the life expectancy and longevity of people increases, there will likely be another group added for individuals who are in the 90 and higher ages
Infancy and Childhood Carefree and jovial for many; but, it can be a time of
powerlessness and vulnerability for others One often experiences most of their socialization and
dispositions in this stage
Adolescence Did not exist (as a category) before the twentieth
century; brought on by societal need for specialized, educated individuals
Typically considered the “scapegoat” generation
Young Adulthood Often expected to get married and have a job
Many are viewed negatively if they do not accomplish these things by middle adulthood
Middle Adulthood Onset of senescence, or primary aging, often seen as the
mid-life crisis. Secondary aging are effects that are brought on as a result of the choices the person makes as far as physical activity and drinking, for example
Often have the highest levels of prestige, and income
Late Adulthood Retirement, physical attributes are as important as
physical age in stratification Contrary to stereotypes, only about 5 percent of the
elderly live in nursing homes, 10 percent have trouble walking, and 30 percent have trouble hearing
AGEISM AND AGE STEREOTYPES
Ageism Prejudice and discrimination against people on
the basis of age, particularly against older persons Notions like: unattractive, unintelligent, asexual, and
unemployable A naturalistic experiment conducted showed that
many individuals enforce such stereotypes, in this case the views towards the elderly See “Old Pat Moore” on page 399
The study showed that the stereotypes were reciprocating, in other words the individual being judged felt as though they were conforming to those roles
AGE, GENDER, RACE, AND INEQUALITY
Age, gender, race and poverty are often intertwined
Entitlements Certain benefits, or payments, paid by the government
Such as Social Security, SSI, Medicare, Medicaid, and pension
Elder Abuse The physical abuse, psychological abuse,
medical abuse (or neglect), or the financial exploitation of people age 65 and/or older The National Center on Elder Abuse reported that
roughly 1.6 million older people are abused in some way in the U.S.
AGING: THE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES
Perspective
Focus Theory/ Hypothesis
Functionalist
• How older people adjust to changing roles in society
Disengagement Theory
Suggests that detachment and preparation for death are normal and healthy adjustments for older individuals
Symbolic-Interactioni
st
• Why micro-level contacts between individuals are particularly important for older people
Activity Theory
Based on the assumption that people are more satisfied in old age if they remain active and find new statuses, roles, and activities
Conflict
• How aging is difficult in a capitalistic economy; and why race, class, and gender are factors that make a difference in the well-being of older people
Inequality (Theory of)
(Inequality) follows people across the life course, and poor and middle-income individuals must rely on public assistance to survive in old age
DEATH AND DYING Hospice: an organization that provides a homelike facility or home-based care for people who are
terminally ill Because of advances in technology, death in today’s
culture is primarily associated with the elderly (often in institutionalized settings) There currently are three (popularly) known
frameworks for how people cope with the process of dying
Stage-based
Popularized by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, proposed the five stages of dying: (1) denial and isolation, (2) anger and resentment, (3) bargaining and postponement, (4) depression and sense of loss, (5) acceptance. Some of the stages may exist simultaneously, or can be omitted.
Dying Trajectory
Focuses on dying and the course of death; death is categorized as three phases: (acute) maximum anxiety, (chronic) decline in anxiety, (terminal) the withdrawal from others.
Task-based Based on the assumption that the dying person can and should go about daily activities and fulfill tasks.
REFERENCES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
o Sociology In Our Times (Seventh Edition)o By: Diana Kendall
o Notes incorporatedo By: James V. Thomas, NIU Professor (Emeritus)o Formatted By: Jacob R. Kalnins, NIU student
o Pictures Incorporatedo Clip Art (PowerPoint: 2007)o Google Images: Sociology In Our Times
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