Gerontology Ch 3

criticisms of age stratification theory

-a large body of research has examined cohort differences in life course experiences, one is how changes that affect one life transition create a ripple effect in other areanas -the concept of social structure is broad and includes many possible definitions -the theory ignores other bases of social stratification such as social class, gender, race that create inequality within age cohorts

age stratification research questions

-how does an individuals location in the changing age structure of society influence his/her behavior and attitudes? -how do individuals relate to each other within and between age strata? -how do individuals pass through key transitions from infancy to childhood to adolescence to adulthood to old age? -what is the impact of the answers to the above questions on society as a whole?

gender relation subject matter?

-why are women more poorly paid than men? -what effect do women's familial responsibilities have on their employment? -why are poverty rates higher among women that men at all stages of life course?

subculture theory controversies

Arnold Rose argued that older people shared a subculture because they have common interests, common role changes, and common generational experiences -although older people experience common role changes, the idea that the aged form a single subculture has now been disconted -the older are more likely to form affiliations

the declined status

Modernization was responsible for _____________________________ of the aged -as work moved from the home to the factory, self-employed stats declined -aged loss their independence and were forced into retirement -urbanization drew young from rural to cities, destroying extended family household and isolated the elderly

age stratification

analyzes the relationship between age and social structure and is based on the premise that all societies group people into social categories, providing people with social identities -age is one principle of ranking

modernization theorists

argued that nations could be placed on a contimuum ranging from least developed to most developed, to such indicators as level of industrialization or degree of urbanization; structured/termed modern

age stratification theory

as social gerontologists began to abandon largescale concepts of societal development such as modernization theory as a way to explain the status of the aged, a new framework emerged ________________

book by Cavan

book suggested that a decline in old age was not inevitable, poor adjustment was correlated w/ a lack of activity, people who continued to lead active and productive lives remained well adjusted in old age

age cohort

central concept used that refers to a group of people who are born at the same time and thus share similar life experiences

external continuity

connected to past performance and can be observed in the continuity of skills, activities, environments, roles, and relationships between middle and old age (what we do)

subculture theory

conviction that people lose status in old age, a focus on role changes in later life, and a belief that activity enhanced the lives of the elderly, shared ideas with activity theory and disengagement theory 1. when people share similar interests, problems, and concerns or have long- standing friendships, a subculture may form 2. subcultures may develop when groups of people are excluded from full participation in the wider society

kansas city study of adult life

coupled the emphasis on adjustment with measures of how people performed various roles - spouse, parent, worker - as they aged -central to these concepts (social role) expecectations that accompany a given position or status, including age and sex roles

disengagement

decreasing interaction between an aging person and the others in his/her social system, process is universal and inevitable

micro theories

disengagement theory activity theory continuity theory subculture theory exchange theory social constructionism

age integration theory

draws on a core premise of age stratification, the idea that society is stratified on the basis of age, age stratification can create age-segregated institutions, where age acts as a barrier to entrance, exit, & participation, _____________________ is characterized by an absence of age-related criteria; however this is highly unlikely

older men

feminist theories do not ignore __________; the theory would not that they do pay a price for having to "live up" to societal ideals of masculinity (higher health risk factors, and death rates)

disengagement theory

first formal theory of aging, 1961, Cumming & Henry criticized what they called "implicit theory" that people can be well adjusted, satisfied, and happy in old age if they remain active/ involved, it was argued that normal aging involves a natural and inevitable mutual withdrawal or disengament

social gerontology

first practitioners were developmental psychologists, whose traditional focus on growth and maturation was expanded to include later maturity -the emphasis on decline in old age grew from an awareness of real physical changes -early researchers saw an old age as a period of inevitable physical and mental decline (short term memory/ vision losses/ increased vulnerability to certain diseases like heart disease, cancer, and stroke)

continuity theory

formal elaboration of activity theory, using a life course perspective to define normal aging and to distinguish it from pathological aging -first propsed by robert atchley, draws from basics of internal/external aging processes in the kansas city studies -emphasizes that personality plays a major role in adjustment to aging and that adult development is a continuous process (can minimize effects of aging)

political economy criticism

framework has been said to be too negative and for viewing older people as too passive- theory does not address life satisfaction, individual motivations, perceptions, and related activities

political economy theories

highlight the structural influences on aging and emphasize the relevance of social struggles embedded in power relationships for understanding how the aged are defined and treated -the premise in the theories of power and inequality is how does access to power influence the life changes of older persons and how do constraints create inequality in the aging experience

classification of feminist

if; gender relations are the main subject matter, notions of masculinity and femininity are seen as socially constructed, and is there is an emphasis placed on the different ways aging is experienced by men and women

immediate exchange

may occur between friends and neighbors

macro theories

modernization theory age stratification theory age integration theory political economy theory feminist theory critical gerontology

political economy perspective

more of a framework for examining the larger social context of problems associated with old age, forces distribute societal resources in ways that maintain or increase inequality on the basis of class, race, gender -the approach understands the nature of old age to be socially constructed and to be created through power struggles

critical gerontology

most recent theoretical approach in study of aging; idea that research on aging has often been based on uncritical reliance on images from popular culture and from outdated theories -theory is derived from political economy and feminist approaches to aging but expands these perspectives to consider how the forces of globalization affect policies and programs for the aged and the daily lives of older people (immigration/displacement of older workers) -approach emphasizes that aging is no longer a local or national issue but rather affects individuals, families, and nations around the world

criticism of the modernization theory

no more elderly were living in childrens homes than today & retirement was not a twentieth century creation, wealth was the dependent factor

feminist theory

of aging; are less a formal body of theory than an approach that reflects a commitment to use theory in certain ways, the central purpose of this theory is to illumiinate the gendered nature of society -contend that the entire life course is gendered, both in terms of informal norms and formal policies

modernization theory

post WWII era, shared by social scientists, that if other nations would follow the American way, they could achieve prosperity and economic growth

deferred exchange

recognizes the importance of strong ties built up over time

internal continuity

refers to an inner remembered structure, such as the persistence of psychic structure of ideas, temperament, affect, experiences, preferences, dispositions, and skills (who we are)

exchange theory

similar to psychosocial theories previously discussed in its interest in explaining why some older people withdraw from social interaction -suggests personal relationships feel most satisfying when both participants are perceived as contributing equally to the relationship

what are some criticisms of the social exchange theory?

that it ignores the value of non-rational resources, such as love and companionship, which often even out of what seems to be an unequal exchange also theory overlooks that exchanges between generations take place over the life course

social exchange theory premise

that resources are often unequal and that actors will continue to engage in exchanges only as long as the benefits are greater than costs, also interaction between the old and the young decreases because older people have fewer resources to bring to the exchange

premise of the stratification theory

that the aging processes reflect the interplay bw 1) the changing life course pattern of people in different cohorts 2) the changing social structures in which these aging processes are experienced

what were the controversies of the disengagement theory?

that the idea of disengagement was universal, meaning it happens everywhere and in all historical eras; was inevitable, meaning it must happen sometime to everyone; and that it was intrinsic, caused by biological factors rather than social factors -does not fully account for differences in personality and temperance when considering the activity level of an aging individual in society

basic premise

that the modernization theory was once a golden age of aging, the old were few in number, and held great power and authority in the community and family- modernization was said to shatter this traditional society (inverted the power structure)

what are the controversies of the continuity theory?

the fact that chronic illness is common in old age and does not preclude meaningful social interaction, especially when the person can create continuity in the process of a disruptive chronic illness

what are the negatives of social constructionism?

the theory emphasis on microsocial processes often neglects the structural features of social life that are imposed by external forces

activity theory

the view that satisfaction during old age is related to a person's amount and quality of activity -older persons who engage in productive activities and social networks are less likely to have depression

social constructionism

view humans as active agents who create the society in which they live, constructionists are concerned with the individuals process of interpreting his/her experiences -strength is that older people are not passive objects but active subjects who participate in the construction of their social worlds

social lag

when outdated social structures prevent persons of certain ages from full participation in the society, the society is said to suffer from __________________