1. HN 200 Seminar 5 Unit 5: The Social Inequalities of Ageism and Sexual Orientation Instructor: Patti Reagles

2. Project for Unit 6  Due by midnight on Tuesday, May 29 th.  Review the project description under the Unit 6 tab.  Review the Project 6 grading rubrics in the syllabus.  Choose a specific population you feel is vulnerable to committing crime.

3. Project for Unit 6  Begin your paper with a discussion on the particular population and the issues that surround that population.  Explain why you chose this group for this project.  Using the readings in this unit and the videos, explain the social influences on the criminals you have chosen. How do the social issues attached to this population affect society? Be sure to include concepts and theories to substantiate your ideas.

4. Project for Unit 6  Discuss the following questions: Of what use is intervention and prevention for the chosen group? What needs to be done in the American justice system to combat crimes committed by the group you have chosen to study?  Clearly, discuss how the issues attached to the chosen population and the social issue of crime affect society.

5. Project for Unit 6  The websites listed in the Reading tab of this unit will be helpful to you.  Your project should be between 500 and 900 words, double spaced, not including your title and reference page.  While no points will be deducted if APA formatting is incorrect, points can be deducted if there is no attempt to cite references.

6. Questions on Unit 6 Project?  It is good practice to anticipate and to ponder on future projects. Some of you like to start the projects early, so discussing this now will help you to succeed as you work through the project. You will then, also, gain the most benefit from this effort.  Be sure to contact me with any concerns, comments, or questions.

7. Age, Sexual Orientation, and Social Inequality Chapter 8 Age, Sexual Orientation, and Social Inequality

8. Myth or Fact?  The exploitation of child labor in the U.S. is largely a thing of the past.  Because most people in the U.S. today have retirement plans where they work, retirement income for the elderly in the future will not be a problem. Myth

9. The Age Structure of Society  Demography is the study of the size, composition, and distribution of human populations and how these factors change over time. (demographics)  The age structure of a society is the distribution of people into various age categories.  A dependency ratio shows the relative size of the group in our society that is economically dependent for support on others who are working.

10. FIGURE 8.1 Age-Sex Popu- lation Pyramids for the United States, 1900 and 2005

11. FIGURE 8.2 The Distribution of Young and Old in the United States, 1950-2050

12. Problems of the Young Dependency places the young at considerable risk of being discriminated against or exploited.

13. Problems of the Elderly  Work and Retirement People are likely to enjoy retirement if it is voluntary, if one’s health is good and if some preparation has occurred.  Poverty and Financial Problems The poverty rate among people over 65 years of age in the U.S. is slightly below that of people 18 to 64 years of age. Reasons for economic difficulty include: The elderly are more likely to be outside the workforce and some elderly worked at jobs for years with no retirement pension plan.

14. FIGURE 8.5 Income by Gender, Race, and Age, 2005 Why do you think “elderly men” earn so much more than all the other categories?

15. FIGURE 8.6 Percentage of Elderly Below the Poverty Level, by Selected Characteristics, 2005

16. FIGURE 8.7 Share of Income From Various Sources for People Aged Sixty-five and Older, 2004

17. Problems of The Elderly  Social Isolation Older people maintain relatively extensive contacts and involvements with friends and acquaintances. People in advanced old age or with serious physical ailments are most likely to suffer from social isolation.  Domestic Violence Elders who are dependent on others for care face the potential problem of physical and psychological abuse.  Health problems Almost half of people older than sixty-five years in the U.S. experience some limitations in the activities because of chronic illness.

18. FIGURE 8.8 Distribution of the Elderly by Living Arrangements, 1960 and 2005

19. Problems of the Elderly  Fear of Crime Older people commit relatively few crimes. The elderly tend to be the victims of crime, or at least many elderly fear that they will be.  Institutions and Nursing Homes Only 5% of older adults live in nursing homes or extended care facilities. Conditions in nursing homes are related to the tension between the necessity of making a profit and the desire to provide services to the residents, and the difficulty of hiring and keeping qualified staff.

20. Homosexuality  Homosexuality refers to sexual feelings, attractions, and actions directed toward members of the same sex.

21. Theories of Sexual Orientation  Biological explanations People are born with tendencies regarding sexual orientation.  Psychological explanations Early explanations focused on psychological maladjustment; however, there is no proof of homosexuality as an indicator of poor psychological adjustment.  Sociological explanations Sociological theories suggest that, like heterosexuality, homosexuality can be the result of learning through interaction with others.

22. Societal Reaction to Homosexuality  Issues surrounding sexual orientation have to do with the negative reactions of many heterosexuals to gays and lesbians, and of the homosexual community assuming their lifestyles into the mainstream of society. Areas of discrimination include employment, housing, and the military. Homophobia refers to an intense dislike of or prejudice against homosexuals. It may be understood that it is not a dislike of the person, but rather of the homosexual practice and lifestyle.  The gay community is a subculture that reproduces the cultural and institutional frameworks of the larger culture, but casts them in light of acceptance for gays and their way of life, while heterosexuals may view this as an affront on traditional values and religious beliefs.

23. Future Prospects  Efforts to improve the status of the young, focus on finding more equitable distribution of resources between the young and the old.  Many policies have focused on reducing the risks that youth may be exposed to such as poverty, family violence, sexual exploitation, and other forms of discrimination and exploitation.

24. Future Prospects  Efforts to improve the status of the elderly have focused on ensuring that more people have adequate access to financial resources including retirement pensions, Social Security, and savings and assets; better health care; and adequate living arrangements including alternative arrangements such as age-integrated housing, government subsidized housing and supported living environments.

25. Future Prospects  Because of the use of collective action by gays and lesbians, homosexuality is more public and widely visible today, and is more protected from discrimination and other negative reactions.  However, significant differences continue throughout our society regarding homosexuality.

26. Discussions  What did you learn from watching the videos? Did you watch any extras that you would like to comment on?  Pretend you are a caregiver for an elderly woman as you saw in the video. What would be different about your job if you are a relative of the woman?  In some families the elderly live in the homes of their children and grandchildren. The generation in between the young and the elderly has been called the sandwich generation. What are the pros and cons when there are multiple generations living together? What stressors are there for the sandwich generation?