2630 Final
young-old VS. old-old
*65+years=life encompassing 30+ years* so... gerontologists have decided to divide late adulthood into two groups: young-old: 65-74 old-old: 75 and above
FP manifest and latent functions
*the functions and dysfunctions of society can be:* manifest- obvious to everyone/intended -ex. manifest function of police departments is to keep crimes low latent- hidden/unintended -ex. mental illness diagnoses and labeling
what does more common health conditions mean to society?
*the older a person becomes, the more likely to services and health conditions yet, the majority of frail older adults live in the community, not in nursing homes, and are cared for by relatives (issue of the sandwich generation) more money spent on care and services more money spent in nursing homes more services (meals on wheels) family strains demographic changes have raised ethical issues regarding healthcare rationing and euthanasia ethical ?'s about whether or not old-old population should receive organ donations
Why do people abuse substances despite negative consequences?
-many/most abusers have an aspect of denial -certain defense mechanisms are commonly used to continue using -theoretical explanations for drug use: biological, behavioral, interactionsist
approaches to stress management
1) CHANGING THE DISTRESSING EVENT- distressing events can be improved by confronting them head on and taking constructive action to change them 2) CHANGING ONE'S THINKING ABOUT A DISTRESSING EVENT- challenge and change the negative and irrational thinking through a rational self-analysis 3) TAKING ONE'S MIND OFF DISTRESSING EVENT- meditation, mindfulness, exercise, pleasurable goodies "pleasurable goodies" relieve stress, change our pace of living, are enjoyable, make us feel good, and are in reality
2 components of stress/stressor
1) the experiences or events we encounter 2) our thought and perceptions of these events *stress depends to a great extent on what a person thinks about events. thinking can be positive or negative source of stress*
the functionalist perspective: interpretations of poverty
1: poverty is identified as emerging from dysfunctions in the economy -ex: rapid industrialization causing disruption in the economic system 2: the welfare system- the system intended to solve poverty-also has various dysfunctions -ex: underfunding, rigid rules, poorly designed programs, lack of adequate information about services
selye's general adaptation syndrome (GAS)
3-stage reaction to stress 1) ALARM PHASE: body recognizes stressor and responds by preparing the fight or flee/fight mode. hormones such as adrenaline are released, resulting in a burst of energy and strength 2) RESISTANCE PHASE: body seeks to return to homeostasis/repair any damage caused by the stressor. 3) EXHAUSTION PHASE- occurs only when the body remains in a state of high stress for an extended period of time. if the body remains at a high level of stress it is unable to repair damage that has occurred. stress-related illness likely
tolerance
A tolerance occurs-=need to take increasing amount to get effect.
Addiction
An addiction: the text defines as intense craving for drug over period of heavy use.
Factors related to alcohol
Biological factors—close relatives of alcoholic 4x more likely to be alcoholics themselves. This is true even for those adopted & raised in nonalcoholic families. SES—drinking more frequent among younger men at higher SES levels, lower among older women at lower SES Gender—men more likely to use & abuse alcohol. Recent decades have shown rise in alcoholism among women. Why? Perhaps taboos against women drinking have lessened. Age—older people less likely to drink than younger people, even if they were drinkers in their youth. Heavy drinking most common @ ages 21-30 for men & 31-50 for women. Religion—nonchurchgoers drink more than regular churchgoers. Heavy drinking more among Episcopalians and Catholics, while conservative and fundamentalist Protestantants more often nondrinkers / light drinkers. Fewer Jews are heavy drinkers. Urban-rural: urban residents more likely to drink than rural. Rates of alcohol use remain high in the U.S. despite laws and MADD/ alcohol organizations. Life expectancy of light to moderate drinkers exceeds that of nondrinkers. Maybe occasional drink helps one to relax.
Biological, behavioral, interactionist theories on substance abuse
Biological theories—physiological changes produced by drug create irrestible craving for drug; certain people are genetically predisposed to abuse certain drugs. Behavioral theories—people use drugs b/c they find them pleasurable & continue to use b/c doing so reduces withdrawal distress Interactionist theories—drug use is learned from interaction with others in our culture (e.g., people drink b/c drinking is highly accepted). Those who use illegal drugs do so b/c they are within a subculture where this is the norm.
Codependency
Codependency—codependent so trapped by loved one's addiction that they lose identity in process of managing trauma from the addict Codependency=unhealthy behavior learned amid chaos—as dysfunctional as the addict if not more so (excessive caretaking, suppression of one's needs, feeling of low self-worth, strained relationships_. Life & identity becomes enmeshed w/ the addict. Many co-d's grew up in a dysfunctional family, and marry or become romantically involved with someone who abuses alcohol or other drugs The addict fills the needs of the codependent—needs like caretaking, loneliness, addiction to destructive behavior like excessive partying and thrill seeking If addict terminates use, codependent person's behaviors will continue unless they get treatment. Treatment involves recognizing that they have a life & identity separate from addict; addict responsible for their behavior; their lives will improve by ceasing caretaking. Tx. Designed to get rid of self-destructive habits that sabotage the copdendent person's happiness. Treatment includes helping codependent people regain or gain their own identity, teaching them that they are not responsible for loved ones' behavior, and teaching them that everyone's lives will improve by ceasing enabling and caretaking behaviors Social work roles in treating codependent persons include counselor, educator (conveying information about addiction and codependency), facilitator (leading treatment groups), broker (linking codependent people to self-help groups and to other human service resources), and program initiator (developing programs to serve persons)
Reasons for abuse
Drug companies advertise drugs and the media glamorizes Popular culture emphasizes alchohol use/abuse Bars & cocktail lounges are centers for socializing. These make drugs part of everyday life College—belief one should get drunk or high after exams. Some people get a tolerance and then use more to get high. Physical / psychological dependence leads to abuse. Intense unwanted emotions can sometimes lead to (loneliness, anxiety, inadequacy, guilt, depression, etc.) May become their best friend; may tend to personalize it & value it more than they value their friends; they can always count on it to relieve pain or get high Denial is an aspect—if they admit, they will have to end their rel'n with their best friend, and they believe that they need the drug to deal w/ their problems.
early and late retirement challenges
Early retirement challenges—people may feel angry and resentful if pressured to retire before they had wanted to Later retirement challenges—people who defer retirement because they love their work may feel a huge loss when they do retire On the other hand, some people have positive morale and life satisfaction through working and retirement
dependence
Habit forming drugs lead to dependence, a tendency or craving for repeated or compulsive use of a chemical. This can be physical, psychological, or both. When physical dependence occurs, user will have withdrawal symptoms when drug use discontinued. When psychological dependence, user feels psychological discomfort if use is terminated.
Common defense mechanisms:
Rationalize—adverse consequences (e.g., job loss) by twisting or distorting reality to explain consequences of behavior while under influence Minimize—adverse consequences of substance Projection—place blame for problem on others (if your wife was like mine, you would also drink)
Rules seen in families of substance abusers
The abuser's use is family's dominant focus—the dependent person's substance abuse becomes the most important thing in the family's life. The abuser's top priority is obtaining the substance, and the family's top priority is the abuser, his/her behavior, and keeping abuser from substance. The goalst The substance is not the cause of the problem (i.e., denial) The substance is to blame for the person's behavior (i.e., the person abusing the substance is not responsible) Don't rock the boat; maintain the status quo Don't discuss problem within or outside family Avoid stating one's true feelings These rules protect the dependent person from taking responsibility for his or her behavior, and the rules also serve to maintain the drinking problem
common health conditions for the old-old
arthritis, heart conditions, hypertension, osteoporosis, dementia, incontinence, hearing and vision problems, and depression
Fastest growin age group: the old-old
as society become better and better at treating and preventing disease, we are having more and more people age 85 and older *in fact, people ages 85+ (currently 15% of the older population) is the fastest growing age group in the US the number of adults over age 85 is projected to increase more than 500% by 2050, due largely to the aging baby boomers
myths about ageism and older adults
beliefs that older workers are less healthy, are more likely to miss work, are more forgetful and accident prone, and have slower performance. In fact, older workers have the following benefits compared to younger workers: lower turnover, steadier work performance, fewer errors, lower absenteeism, more positive attitudes about work, better health, less on-the-job injury rates. However, when older adults do become ill, they take longer to recover.
criticism of conflict perspective
criticized as being too radical and encouraging of revolt against the existing system (rather than working with the existing system) critics of conflict theory also disagree that there is as much societal conflict as conflict theorists state if there were as much conflict as theory claims, society would've been disintegrated a long time ago
a major cause of social disorganization is the ___________ _______ between the rapid technological advancement and out adaptation to it
cultural lag
Negative consequences for substance abuse
death, health deterioration, relationship probs, automobile accidents, child/spouse abuse, job loss, loss of self-esteem, loss of social status, financial disaster, divorce, arrests, convictions
IP labeling theory
direct offshoot of the perspective. the labels assigned to a person have a major impact on that person's life *child being called "stupid" and results in minimal effort
FP social problems occur when society, or some part of it, becomes ________
disorganized
social change
disrupts the balance of society *ex. technological advances (telephones, robots) have led basic institutions (family, educational system) to undergo drastic changes*
the interactionist perspective interpretations of poverty
emphasizes the subjective, relative nature of poverty; what is considered wealth, poverty, & good standard of living depends on the context shared societal beliefs about poverty create judgments by members of society. People who are poor internalize this judgment and may begin to act based on this judgment (labeling theory) also relates to self-concept *a third generation welfare recipient is opt to view him/herself much more negatively compared to a college student, even if they have the same income
Typical roles played by family members: enabler, family hero, scapegoat, lost child, mascot
enabler (takes more & more responsibility—often parent or spouse) family hero (positive influence to offset family deterioration) scapegoat (denial substance abuse; blame a family member)—this person behaves in ways to draw negative att'n, distracts att'n from dependent person; lost child (uninvolved, but does not cause trouble)—provides relief for some of the family's troubles mascot (good sense of humor, takes nothing too seriously) Roles become associated w/ survival
two things that make older adults retire later than perhaps they though they would when they were younger
financial necessity- SS benefits & pensions usually insufficient sociopsychological- rolelessness may make retiree prefer work over retirement
mental activity
important for maintaining good cognitive functioning although there are some age-related declines in cognitive functioning,these declines will appear at a later age and be less sever if a person is mentally active Some nursing homes and retirement communities now have daily programs to provide stimulation: national issues or local issues are discussed, guest speakers brought in Elderhostel: courses often on college campuses. 1, 2, or 3 week sessions to study topics at relaxed pace Some universities have provisions for those over 65 to attend classes with reduced or no tuition Some want to update earlier studies, some want to pursue educational programs to enrich selves. Some want to acquire basic learning skills or attain high school of college diploma. Road scholar-travel tours Also travelling. Associations such as AARP and elderhostel offer travel tours. Belief that intellectual decline=largely a myth. We are wasting a precious resource: older adults w/ experience, training, intelligence
Challenges related to retirement
knowing when to retire although recently retired people may first love having long stretches of leisure time, after a while they may start to feel bored, restless, and useless (thus, those who tend to be happiest in retirement are people who are physically healthy and fit and who are able to lend their skills to part-time volunteer or paid work) *most common* adjusting to a reduced income and missing one's job (including the work itself, the structure, and the relationships)
how do we define later adulthood?
last major segment of the lifespan 65 has been the dividing line between middle and old age we identify this age due to historic policies set in Germany in 1883 *Germany created the first modern social security system, and selected age 65 as the age of eligibility the US follow suit in 1935, when Social Security Act was passed, and selected age 65 as age of eligibility
FP- poverty the best ways to deal with poverty is to...
make adjustments to correct these dysfunctions view poverty itself as functional -motivates people to work to avoid poverty -provides a class of people to perform work that no one wants to do POVERTY ONLY VIEWED AS A SOCIAL PROBLEM when it no longer serves motivating function
early retirement
mandatory retirement at a certain age (65 to 70) used to be used, by in 1986 most mandatory retirement policies were made illegal yet, in many occupations, the supply of workers exceeds the demand. This often leads to early retirement being encouraged rather than mandated. Sometimes subtle pressure is exerted to encourage older persons to retire early many older people who retire early take another job, typically with lower pay or status. In some cases this may represent a desired career shift
nutrition and diety
most elders have inadequate diets- there are various reasons for this *lack of $, transportation, living alone, can't cook, poor teeth, lack of knowledge about proper nutrition due to the relationship between diet and cardiac problems, it is recommended that older adults eat a low-fat, high-protein diet there are various nutrition interventions, meals on wheels, congregate meal
FP social disorganization
occurs when a large organization or an entire society is imperfectly organized to achieve its goals and maintain its stability. When disorganization occurs, the organization loses control over its parts
IP looking-glass self
others' reactions to us help us understand and evaluate ourselves
age identification and society
our society tends to define old age mainly in age, whereas some societies define old age by physical and mental conditions rather than chronological age. This is more accurate than our approach this is particularly relevant today, as many 70-year-olds are functionally similar to 50-year-olds in the past
what are some of the reasons for our emphasis on youth?
rapid technological development making past knowledge and skills obsolete our cultural emphasis on competition as a result of industrialization and pioneer living, which emphasized strength, energy, and stamina industrialization resulted in a demand for laborers who are energetic, agile, and strong
reasons for the growth in the older adult population
reduced infant mortality rate drugs, sanitation, medical advances fewer babies are being born/birthrate is decreasing
advantages of early retirement
reducing the labor supply allowing younger employees to advance faster
IP addressing poverty
removing the stigma could help address poverty public assistance programs that bring up the poor to an adequate standard of living, COMBINED with programs that provide opportunities to move up in the socioeconomic ladder and programs that encourage the poor to redefine their social movement and self-image
IP generalized other
role-taking eventually leads to generalized other. adopt a system of values and standards that reflect the expectations of people in general, not just those in the immediate present reflecting the internalized values and beliefs of influential persons and groups
CP *theory views conflict as emerging from both shared and differing values* shared values example differing values example
shared value- shared value of wealth causes conflicts over income distribution among groups (since we all value wealth) differing value example- value conflict seen in pro-life vs. pro-choice debate
the underlying cause of social disorganization is rapid _____ ______
social change
contrasts between functionalism and conflict theory -social change -obedience to laws -values and norms
social change- involves reordering the distribution of scarce goods among groups. Conflict can lead to improvements, advancements, the reduction of discrimination against oppressed groups. Without it people remain stagnant *CP-views change as potentially beneficial, whereas FP views it as destructive obedience to laws- conflict theorist assert that social order is maintained by authority backed by the use of force. Privileged classes hold legal power and use the legal system to obey their will, whereas functionalism asserts that people obey the law because it is just and fair/shared values reflected in law values and norms- conflict theorists assert that modern societies are composed of many different groups with divergent values, attitudes, and norms, therefore conflicts are bound to happen. whereas functionalism views people in society as sharing norms and values
The functionalist perspective
sociological theory is also known as structural functionalism theory views society as a well-ordered system in which societal members share common values and norms like a human body, society is seen as being made up of many component parts (or SUBSYSTEMS, using the terminology of subsystems theory) that are interdependent and interrelated each of the component parts has an important FUNCTION that is essential to the overall functioning of society
interactionist perspective
sociological theory is also known as symbolist interactionism more MEZZO focused than functionalism (which focuses on large systems like the economy or religion), interactionist theory focuses on the interactions between people views a person's behavior as being shaped by the interaction between a person's unique personality and that person's relationships and group memberships a focus on the idea that meaning is created through interactions with other, mediated by symbols (words and language) socialization is emphasized in this theory; the socialization process enables people to think and use language views people as being the product of their culture and relationships
the conflict perspective
sociological theory that is generally at odds with functionalism views society as a struggle for power among various social groups Based on certain underlying assumptions: conflict is thought to be inevitable and in many cases actually beneficial to society rests on important assumption that members of society highly value certain things (such as power, wealth, and prestige) and most of the valued resources are in scarce supply **because of scarce supply, conflict theory asserts that people-either individually or in groups-fight with one another to obtain them society creates norms for what types of conflicts are allowable for what groups -ex: yes to labor strikes, no to armed robbery conflict theory views social change from the standpoint of redistributing valued and scarce goods within society
sleep
stereotype that older people need more sleep is wrong, as they do not require more sleep than those in middle adulthood many elders have sleep disturbances (insomnia, restlessness, difficulty falling asleep) that result in anxiety, depression, worry or illness normal changes occur in sleep patters for older people *deep sleep disappears, taking longer to fall asleep & more frequent awakenings, Distribute sleep differently—several catnaps of 15-60 minutes, reducing need need to sleep 8 hours at night.
stress and stress management
stress contributes to many emotional and behavioral difficulties, and is a factor in most physical illnesses those who are successful at managing stress have life expectancy several years higher than those at continual high stress levels the body reacts the same to both positive and negative (distress) stressors
physical exercise
studies show older people benefit from exercise such as walking, swimming, weightlifting evidence that as people age, exercise reduces physical and mental slowness that occurs in many elders however, important for middle-aged and older adults to have a physical exam before embarking on a new exercise program
cultural lag
technological advances have occurred at such a pace that other part of the culture have failed to keep pace
basic ideas of treatment
the chemically dependent person must take responsibility for his or her behavior the dependent person and family must acknowledge the problem and the family dynamics that are contributing to it the family members must confront dependent person and provide honest information about his or her behavior in factual, non-emotional manner family must learn of progression of disease the person eventually hits "rock bottom," which may be followed by an honest attempt to stop using hopefulness of self-help recover programs for addict and family a range of treatment approaches and social work roles treatment programs almost always emphasize ABSTINENCE from substance. Abusers are also urged to view themselves as RECOVERING rather than recovered
Substance abuse
the regular or excessive use of a drug when, as defined by a group, the consequences endanger relationships with other people, are detrimental to a person's health, or jeopardize society itself. Chemical intake becomes abusive when an individual's mind and/or body are affected in negative or harmful ways. Legal & illegal drugs frequently abused. Legal: Alcohol, tobacco, caffeine Prescription drugs: sedatives, amphetamines (stimulants), tranquilizers, painkillers, stimulants. Illegal drugs: cocaine, heroin, amphetamines (stimulants). Used to attain unrealistic high or escape life difficulties.
disadvantages of early retirement
the societal costs associated with lengthy retirements for retiree- facing a new life and status w/o much preparation or assistance for retiree- sometimes struggle with feeling useless/roleless our societal view of people's worth is partly based on their work, and people's self image is often based on their work as well
criticisms of interactionist perspective
the theory is so abstract and vaguely worded that it is nearly impossible to prove or disprove it
wellness: the strengths perspective
theme that older people are able to experience little physical or mental deterioration if they have nutritious diet, are successful at handling stress & staying mentally and physically active our health professions have traditionally focused on treatment of diseases, rather than on prevention *this is changing, as there is a growing emphasis on prevention, wellness and holistic (psychological, social, physical) treatment
FP equilibrium
theory believes that all social systems have a tendency to maintain a steady state or particular balance in which the parts of the system remain in the same relationship to one another *this tendency towards equilibrium suggests that social change will be disruptive and harmful to a society unless it happens very gradually*
the increasing older population
there are now 10 times as many people age 65 and older as there where in 1900 and % continues to increase by 2030, 72 million Americans ages 65+ are anticipated, a 90% increase compared to 30% growth in total population growth in older adult population reflects an increase in sheer # and % within the general population
the conflict perspective interpretations of poverty
there is such enormous wealth in modern society that poverty should not exist/unnecessary poverty exists because those in power benefit from it people who are poor and unemployed are oppressed by wealthy employers who oppose efforts to reduce unemployment (educational & job training programs) because they don't want to be taxed wealthy cling to self-serving ideologies that view poverty as being due to individual failings wealthy people ignore major structural changes and instead make charitable contributions which enable them to feel good about themselves charitable & gov't welfare contribute to welfare/perpetuate poverty because they reduce social unrest poor internalize the ideology that they are to blame for poverty, this reduces their self-esteem and desire to advocate for change *conflict theory would say that such individuals lack critical consciousness POVERTY BECOMES A SOCIAL PROBLEM WHEN a group identifies the distribution of wealth as unjust and deserving of political action according to this theory, poverty is best approached through consciousness raising and political action poverty is neither essential or functional
IP social construction of reality
this theory asserts that social reality is social constructed rather than objectively true
IP emphasis on role and play
through play, children learn to take on different roles, which develops children's ability to begin to imagine how other people may see them
criticisms of functionalist perspective
too politically conservative, as it takes for granted the idea that society as it is (STATUS QUO) should be preserved. As a result, social justices are ignored and privileged classes being benefitted emphasis on the stability and well-being of society overall can lead to trampling the rights of minority groups value laden- one's disorganization is another's organization criticized as being a philosophy that works for the benefit of the privileged social classes, while perpetuating the misery of the poor and those who are being victimized by discrimination
emphasis on youth in our society
we live in a particularly youth--focused society, and thus many people dread the physical signs of aging (wrinkles, gray hair)
FP dysfunctional component
when a component of a society interferes with efforts to carry out essential social tasks