sociology ch 13
primary aging
Biological factors, such as molecular and cellular changes
ageism
Discrimination based on age
gerontology
a field of science that seeks to understand the process of aging and the challenges encountered as seniors grow older
cohort
a group of people who share a statistical or demographic trait
grief
a psychological, emotional, and social response to the feelings of loss that accompanies death or a similar event
exchange theory
a rational choice approach, suggests we experience an increased dependence as we age and must increasingly submit to the will of others because we have fewer ways of compelling others to submit to us
hospice
a type of healthcare that treats terminally ill people when "cure-oriented treatments" are no longer an option
gerontocracy
a type of social structure wherein the power is held by a society's oldest members
secondary aging
aging that occurs due to controllable factors, such as lack of physical exercise and poor diet
elder abuse
occurs when a caretaker intentionally deprives an older person of care or harms the person in his or her charge
social gerontology
refers to a specialized field of gerontology that examines the social (and sociological) aspects of aging
senescence
refers to the aging process, including biological, emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual changes
filial piety
respect shown by children for their parents and elders
age stratification theory
suggest that members of society might be stratified by age, just as they are stratified by race, class, and gender
subculture of aging theory
suggests that elders will disengage from society and develop new patterns of interaction with peers who share common backgrounds and interests
modernization theory
suggests that the primary cause of the elderly losing power and influence in society are the parallel forces of industrialization and modernization
disengagement theory
suggests that withdrawing from society and social relationships is a natural part of growing old
life expectancy
the average number of years a person born today may expect to live
baby boomers
the cohort born between 1946 and 1964 and now reaching their 60s
continuity theory
the elderly make specific choices to maintain consistency in internal (personality structure, beliefs) and external structures (relationships), remaining active and involved throughout their elder years
gerotranscendence
the idea that as people age, they transcend the limited views of life they held in earlier times
selective optimization with compensation theory
the idea that successful personal development throughout the life course and subsequent mastery of the challenges associated with everyday life are based on the components of selection, optimization, and compensation
activity theory
the more active and involved an elderly person is, the happier he or she will be
dependency ratio
the number of citizens not in the labor force (young, disabled, or elderly) to citizens in the labor force
life course
the period from birth to death, including a sequence of predictable life events such as physical maturation
thanatology
the systematic study of death and dying
physician assisted suicide
the voluntary or physician-assisted use of lethal medication provided by a medical doctor to end one's life
