12. Aging

14. What is the graying of the world's population?

A world with fewer and fewer children and more and more old people, a world with a shrinking workforce and a shrinking total population. The combination of graying and globalization will shape the lives of elderly people throughout the world well into this century. Traditional patterns of family care will be challenges as family based economies continue to give way to labor on the farms and in the offices and factories of global businesses. Like in the industrial nations earlier in the twentieth century all societies will be challenged to find role for their aging citizen.

7. What are three themes of the life course perspective?

According to the life course perspective, the aging process is shaped by historical time and place, factors such as wars, economic shifts, or the development of new technologies shape how people age. Mounting research shows that our physical and mental health in later life is closely linked to the advantages and disadvantages we faced early in life, dating back as far as childhood and infancy (for example, social advantage, neighborhood, better health and education etc.)

2. By how much will the US elderly population increase over the next five decades?

An increase from 40 million in 2010 to 72 million by the year 2030 is expected. 25% of all people reaching age 65 today will live to be 90. By the middle of the twenty first century, that figure is expected to rise to 42 percent. According to some projections, by that time, there may be as many as two million living Americans who have celebrated their 100th birthday.

3. Compare and contrast biological, psychological and social aging process?

Biological aging: -declining vision, as the eye lens loses its elasticity -hearing loss, first of higher-pitched tones, then of lower pitched one -wrinkles as the skins underlying structure becomes more and more brittle -a decline in muscle mass and an accompanying accumulation of fat, especially around the abdomen -a drop in cardiovascular efficiency as less oxygen can be inhaled and used during exercise Psychological aging: -memory, intelligence, reasoning skills, and both the capacity and motivation to learn are widely assumed to decline with age -speed with which one recalls or analyzes information may slow -example for psychological aging is the disease Alzheimer's disease Social aging: -Changes in the labor force mean that adults are working into late life, and many need to retain or retool their skills -"Nontraditional age" students now represent nearly 50% of college enrollment -Many older adults have seen their pension wealth home values and savings evaporate in the recession that began in 2007, forcing them to delay their retirement age to 65 -yet retirement is no longer the exclusive domain of older adults -some middle-aged adults especially those in high paying jobs may be forced to retire early if their companies can no longer afford to employ them

6. What are the main criticism of functionalism and conflict theory?

Conflict theories of aging flourished during the 1980's, when a shrinking job base and cutbacks in federal spending threatened to pit different social groups against each other in the competition for scarce resources. Older persons were seen as competitive with the young for increasingly scarce jobs and dwindling federal dollars. Unequal opportunities are seen as creating the potential for conflict.

5. Summarize the three theoretical frameworks used to describe the nature of aging in the US society?

Disengagement theory: A functionalist theory of aging that holds that it is functional for society to remove people from their traditional roles when they become elderly, thereby freeing up the roles for others Socioemotional selectivity theory: The Theory that adults maintain fewer relationships as they age, but that those relationship are of higher quality Activity theory: A functionalist theory of aging that holds that busy, engaged people are more likely to lead fulfilling and productive lives Continuity theory: The theory that older adults well-being is enhanced when their activities are similar to those done earlier in life

15. What is the feminization of global aging?

Global aging such as the graying of the US population is largely a women's issue. Women outnumber men by roughly 4 to 3 at age 65 or older and by roughly 2 to 1 at age 80 or above, these patterns are due primarily to women's life expectancy advantage in most nations in the world.

1. What is he "graying" of the US population?

Graying - A term used to indicate that an increasing proportion of a society's population is elderly. (Adults ages 65 and older) Graying is the result of two long-term trends in industrial societies: the tendency of families to have fewer children and the fact that people are living longer.

8. Describe the process of cumulative adversity and advantage over the life course?

Life course - the various transitions and stages people experience during their lives. Life course theorists reject what they regard as the one-sided emphases of both, functionalism and conflict theories where older adults are viewed either as merely adapting to the large society (functionalism) or as victims of the satisfaction system (social conflict).

11. What characteristics differentiate those older adults who are emotionally and physically well from those who face great distress in later life?

Loneliness is not triggered by a quantitative lack of relationships, but by a lack of satisfaction with the number or quality of one's relationships. Contemporary researchers have identified distinct types of loneliness: Emotional loneliness refers to the absence of an intimate confidant, while social loneliness refers to the absence of a broader social network. Loneliness is a serious problem for many older adults; it is linked to sleep problems, poor cardiovascular health, and elevated blood pressure, each of which carries long-term consequences for mortality risk.

10. Describe four common problems older Americans often confront?

Poverty - Fewer than 10% of person age 65 and older currently live in poverty, although some of the very poorest American are elderly. Most elder people have retired from full time work their income is based primarily on Social security - a government program that provides economic assistance to persons faced with unemployment, disability or agedness Medicare - a program under the US Social Security Administration that reimburses hospitals and physicians for medical care provided to qualifying people over 65 years old Social isolation - elderly people are often alone and feel isolated from the society

4. How has technology affected the process of biological, psychological and social aging?

Social aging, like biological and psychological aging, has been transformed by technology. In earlier decades, older adults were considered physically undesirable because they defied the cultural standard of youthful beauty, Today cosmetic surgery helps older women (and men to a less extent) maintain a taut dewy complexion via processes such as Botox injection and face lifts etc.

13. What is generational equity?

The striking of a balance between the needs and interests of members of different generations

12. Describe the debate surrounding the future of Social Security and Medicare programs in the US?

The two principal governmental programs that provide financial support for the elderly are Medicare and Social Security. Do government programs adequately promote generation equity? The striking of a balance between the needs and interests of members of difference generations. A variety of solutions have been proposed including charging co-payments for home health care services, requiring beneficiaries to pay higher premiums and requiring drug companies to provide discounts. One controversial proposal would involve means testing or allocating benefits based on an older persons financial means and needs,

16. What are the implications of the graying world population for social policy?

With fewer people working and paying into the system and more taking out, policy makers are concerned about the solvency of social programs. Countries vary widely in what they are doing to cope with their growing numbers of older people. More than 150 nations currently provide public assistance for people who are elderly or disabled for their survivors when they die. As we have seen already, the US relies primarily on Social Security an Medicare to serve the financial and health need for the elderly.

9. Contrast the young old, old old, and oldest old?

Young old - Sociological term for person age 65 to 74 Old old - Sociological term for person age 75 to 84 Oldest old - Sociological term of person age 85 and older