Ch 13 The Elderly l Aging is socially

Ch. 13 - The Elderly l Aging is socially constructed l The Tiwi l The Abkhasians l Attitudes towards the aged differ from one social group to another l Gerontology- the study of aging and the elderly in this/other societies

Effects of Industrialization l More people reach older ages l Social security taxes l Life expectancy- the # of years one can expect to live (1900 ->1950 ->2000) l The Graying of America l The increasing percentage of older people in the U. S. population (4%-> 13%)

l Global perspective (life expectancy) l Elderly populations differ by states l Elderly populations differ by race-ethnicity l Maximum SPAN length of life possible is LIFE

Symbolic interactionist perspective l The label “old” l Factors that lead people to apply the “old” label to themselves l Biology- signs of aging l Personal history- biography l Gender age- the relative values of men’s and women’s ages in a particular culture l Timetables- signals to inform old age has begun

l Gerontocracy- society or group run by the elderly l Ageism- prejudice, discrimination, and hostility directed against people b/c of their age l Senior advantage? l Mass media l Media influence our ideas of the elderly

l China: Changing sentiment about the elderly l High status of elderly Chinese l One child policy l No national social security l Support agreements

Functionalist perspective l Age cohorts significantly affect our lives l Disengagement theory l Society prevents disruption by having the elderly disengage from their positions of responsibility so the younger generations can step into their shoes

l Activity theory l Satisfaction during old age is related to a persons amount and quality of activity l Continuity theory l How people adjust to change by continuing some aspect of their lives

Conflict perspective l Competition, disequilibrium, and change applied to age groups l Social security legislation l Intergenerational conflict l Social security l Shift in dependency ratio

Problems of dependency l Isolation and gender l Nursing homes l Only 4% of nation’s elderly in homes l Residents typically 85+, memory loss l Expensive! l Elder abuse l 40% of staff admit psychological abuse l 10% admit physical abuse l Most abusers are family members

l The elderly poor l Gender and poverty l Decline in poverty l Anti poverty programs l Larger social security checks

l Sociology of death and dying l Culture shapes the way people experience death l Industrialization and the new technology l Death as a process- denial, anger, negotiation, depression, acceptance l Hospices (home care) l Suicide and age