Aging

inasmuch

(adv) in like manner, considering that (contradiction of "in as much," generally followed by "as")

Ageism

Discrimination based on age

almshouses

Houses designated to aid the widows and orphans of Philadelphia and New York

filial piety

In Confucian thought, one of the virtues to be cultivated, a love and respect for one's parents and ancestors.

baby boomers

The 78 million people born during the baby boom, following World War II and lasting until the early 1960sjj

life expectancy

The average number of years an individual can be expected to live, given current social, economic, and medical conditions. Life expectancy at birth is the average number of years a newborn infant can expect to live.

disengagement theory

The view that aging makes a person's social sphere increasingly narrow, resulting in role relinquishment, withdrawal, and passivity.

cohort

a group of people who share a statistical or demographic trait. People belonging to the same age cohort were born in the same time frame. People belonging to the same age cohort were born in the same time frame.

Hospice

a shelter for travelers, orphans, or the ill or destitute

age stratification theory

a theory which states that members of society are stratified by age, just as they are stratified by race, class, and gender

Supercentenarians

are people living to 110 years or more. In August 2014, there were seventy-five verified supercentenarians worldwide—seventy-three women and two men. These are people whose age has been carefully documented, but there are almost certainly others who have not been identified. The Gerontology Research Group (2014) estimates there are between 300 and 450 people worldwide who are at least 110 years of age.

Centenarians

are people living to be 100 years old, and they are approximately 1,000 times more common than supercentenarians. In 2010, there were about 80,000 centenarians in the United States alone. They make up one of the fastest-growing segments of the population (Boston University School of Medicine 2014).

geriatrics

branch of medicine dealing with older individuals and their medical problems

gerontocracy

government of the old

iatrikos

healing

Gerontology

is a field of science that seeks to understand the process of aging and the challenges encountered as seniors grow older. Gerontologists investigate age, aging, and the aged.

geron

old man

Social gerontology

refers to a specialized field of gerontology that examines the social (and sociological) aspects of aging. Researchers focus on developing a broad understanding of the experiences of people at specific ages, such as mental and physical wellbeing, plus age-specific concerns such as the process of dying.

senescence

refers to the aging process, including biological, emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual changes

Modernization Theory

suggests that the primary cause of the elderly losing power and influence in society are the parallel forces of industrialization and modernization. As societies modernize, the status of elders decreases, and they are increasingly likely to experience social exclusion.

elder abuse

the abuse or neglect of older family members

thanatology

the study of death and dying

Conflict Perspective

view society as inherently unstable, an institution that privileges the powerful wealthy few while marginalizing everyone else. According to the guiding principle of conflict theory, social groups compete with other groups for power and scarce resources. Applied to society's aging population, the principle means that the elderly struggle with other groups—for example, younger society members—to retain a certain share of resources. At some point, this competition may become conflict

Madrid Plan

The world population is growing and aging. In an effort to collectively deal with some of the challenges facing the elderly, several countries gathered at a summit. Which plan was the result of this summit?

Functionalism

analyze how the parts of society work together. Functionalists gauge how society's parts are working together to keep society running smoothly. How does this perspective address aging? The elderly, as a group, are one of society's vital parts.

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. This is an attempt to maintain social equilibrium and stability by making future decisions on the basis of already developed social roles (Atchley 1971; Atchley 1989). One criticism of this theory is its emphasis on so-called "normal" aging, which marginalizes those with chronic diseases such as Alzheimer's.

dependency ratio

the number of nonproductive citizens (young, disabled, or elderly) to productive working citizens

life course

the stages of our life as we go from birth to death

primary aging

the universal and irreversible physical changes that occur to all living creatures as they grow older

activity theory

the view that satisfaction during old age is related to a person's amount and quality of activity

exchange theory

theory that holds that people are motivated by self-interests in their interactions with other people