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