1. Aging and Inequality Based on Age
Chapter 12
Aging and Inequality Based on Age
The Social Significance of Age
Age in Global Perspective
Age and the Life Course in Contemporary Society
Inequalities Related to Aging
Living Arrangements for Older Adults
Sociological Perspectives on Aging
Death and Dying
Aging in the Future

2. Most of us estimate a person’s age on the basis of functional age
Aging
Aging is
Chronological age is
Most of us estimate a person’s age on the basis of
functional age
Observable individual attributes such as physical appearance, mobility, strength, coordination, and mental capacity that are used to assign people to age categories
Life Expectancy
Life expectancy is
A cohort is a group of people born within a specified period of time
Today, a much larger percentage of the U.S. population is over age 65 than in the past

3. Age Stratification Gerontology Infancy and Childhood (Birth to 12 )
The study of aging and older people
Social gerontology is the study of the social (nonphysical) aspects of aging, including such topics as the societal consequences of an aging population and the personal experience of aging
Age Stratification
Inequalities, differences, segregation, or conflict between age groups
Infancy and Childhood (Birth to 12 )
Children are among the most powerless and vulnerable people in society.
Every day in the U.S. (2012)
Five children are killed by abuse or neglect
Five children or teens commit suicide
2,058 children are confirmed as abused or neglected
2,573 babies are born into poverty
4,133 children are arrested
Carefree
Powerless
Socialization

4. Adolescence (13 to 19)
Many adolescents face conflicting demands to attend school and to make money
Juvenile laws define truancy or running away as forms of delinquency; these would not be offenses if committed by an adult
Despite laws to control working conditions, many adolescents are employed in settings with hazardous working conditions, low wages, no benefits, and long work hours
Studies find Teens on average send 100 texts a day to friends; issue of texting and driving
Young Adulthood (20 to 39)
During this time, people are expected to get married, have children, and get a job
Individuals who do not get married by age 39 are often quizzed about their intentions and their sexual orientation
Those who are unable to find steady employment tend to become suspect because they have not “settled down”
Identity formation
Financial concerns

5. Middle Adulthood (40 to 65)
As people progress through middle adulthood, they experience senescence (primary aging) in the form of molecular and cellular changes in the body
Wrinkles and gray hair are visible signs of senescence
Women undergo menopause
The cessation of the menstrual cycle caused by a gradual decline in the body’s production of the “female” hormones estrogen and progesterone
Men undergo a climacteric
The production of the “male” hormone testosterone decreases
Issues for Middle Adulthood include: Financial security; Grandchildren &
Physical changes
Middle adulthood for some people represents the time during which:
They have the highest levels of income and prestige
They leave the problems of child rearing behind them and are content with their spouse of many years
They may have grandchildren, who give them another tie to the future

6. Late Adulthood (66 and older)
Retirement often means a loss of a valued activities
Older adults also face the loss of relationships
Physical changes
Ageism
Ageism is
Ageism against older persons is rooted in the assumption that people become unattractive, unintelligent, asexual, unemployable, and mentally incompetent as they grow older
Wealth, Poverty, and Aging
Older people tend to have more wealth but less income than younger people
Among older persons, there is a wide range of assets and income
Almost 10% of all people over 65 live in poverty

7. Age and Race/Ethnicity
African Americans constitute only about 9% of the elderly population but account for 27% of the low-income older population
Older Latinos/as and Native Americans have higher rates of poverty than whites
Older People in Rural Areas
Elders living in rural areas compared to those in urban areas:
Are more likely to be poor
Have fewer years of school
Be in poor health
Are less likely to receive health care

8. Elder Abuse
Refers to
As many as 1.6 million older people in the U.S. are victims of abuse each year
Physical abuse includes malnutrition, injuries, and dislocations
Psychological abuse includes __________________________________
Financial exploitation involves __________________________________
Medical abuse is when medicine is withheld or improperly administered
Neglect is not providing sufficient care; most widely reported type of abuse 58%

9. Functionalist Perspectives on Aging
Functionalist perspectives focus on
According to sociologist Talcott Parsons, the roles of older persons need to be redefined by society
Devaluing the contributions of older persons is dysfunctional for society
Older persons often have knowledge and wisdom to share with younger people
Disengagement Theory
According to disengagement theory, older persons make
Disengagement aids a gradual and orderly transfer of statuses and roles from one generation to the next
An abrupt change would result in chaos

10. Symbolic Interactionist Perspectives on Aging
Symbolic interactionist perspectives examine the
Activity theory states that people tend to shift gears in late middle age and find substitutes for previous statuses, roles, and activities
The concept of continuity: people constantly attempt to maintain their self-esteem and lifelong principles and practices and they simply adjust to the feedback and needs of others as they grow older
Role theory asks: What roles are available for older people?
Some theorists note that industrialized, urbanized societies do not have roles for older people.

11. Conflict Perspectives on Aging
As people grow older, their power tends to diminish unless they are able to maintain wealth
Differences in social class, gender, and race/ethnicity divide older people just as they do everyone else
The conflict perspective adds to our understanding of aging by focusing on how capitalism devalues older people, especially women
People who need financial assistance at this age are looked down upon as not having worked hard enough when they were younger or planning for their future.

12. Stage-Based Framework: Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
Five stages in the dying process:
Denial and isolation (“Not me!”)
Anger and resentment (“Why me?”)
Bargaining and an attempt to postpone (“Yes me, but “—negotiating for divine intervention)
Depression and sense of loss
Acceptance
A hospice is an

13. Aging in the Future
Dramatic increases in the size of the older adult population in the U.S. and around the world.
Technology and medical advances