Age, Sexual Orientation, and Social Inequality Chapter 8 Age, Sexual Orientation, and Social Inequality “This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law:  any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network;  preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images;  any rental, lease, or lending of the program.”

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009 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

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009 The Functionalist Perspective  Functionalists argue that the stages of the life cycle are intimately related to the social needs of a particular society.  The treatment of the young and the old becomes a social problem when it is inconsistent with their capabilities and development, both biological and social.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009 The Conflict Perspective  Conflict theorists argue that the position of the young and the old in society is related to their access to social, political and economic power. Ageism refers to an ideology or set of beliefs holding that people in a particular age group are inferior, have negative attributes, and can be dominated and exploited because of their age.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009 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.  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.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009 FIGURE 8.1 Age-Sex Popu- lation Pyramids for the United States, 1900 and 2005

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009 FIGURE 8.2 The Distribution of Young and Old in the United States,

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009 Problems of the Young Dependency places the young at considerable risk of being discriminated against or exploited.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009 FIGURE 8.3 Dependency Ratio in the United States,

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009 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.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009 FIGURE 8.4 Poverty Rates of Elderly and Nonelderly Adults,

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009 FIGURE 8.5 Income by Gender, Race, and Age, 2005

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009 FIGURE 8.6 Percentage of Elderly Below the Poverty Level, by Selected Characteristics, 2005

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009 FIGURE 8.7 Share of Income From Various Sources for People Aged Sixty-five and Older, 2004

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009 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.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009 FIGURE 8.8 Distribution of the Elderly by Living Arrangements, 1960 and 2005

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009 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.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009 Homosexuality  Homosexuality refers to sexual feelings, attractions, and actions directed toward members of the same sex.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009 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.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009 Societal Reaction to Homosexuality  Many of the problems surrounding sexual orientation have to do with the negative reactions of many heterosexuals to gays and lesbians. Areas of discrimination include employment, housing, and the military. Homophobia refers to an intense dislike of or prejudice against homosexuals.  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.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009 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.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009 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.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009 FIGURE 8.11 Medicare and Social Security as a Percentage Of the Total Federal Budget,

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009 Future Prospects  In good part because of the effective use of collective action by gays and lesbians, homosexuality is more public and widely accepted today, and is more protected from discrimination and other negative reactions.  However, significant sources of homophobia persist.