Week 1 - Rethinking Aging

Chronological Age

The number of years a person has lived since birth. It is the most straightforward way society classifies age and is often used to set legal age limits for benefits and responsibilities.

Subjective Age

How old or young a person feels, which may not match their chronological age. It can change depending on health, physical ability, and social comparisons, making it more flexible and context-dependent.

Functional Age

How a person perceives their own abilities in relation to their age. It reflects social expectations and is often shaped by comparisons with peers, rather than just biological factors.

Age Identity

A person’s overall sense of how old they are, influenced by chronological, subjective, and functional age. Unlike subjective age, which can change frequently, this type of age tends to be more stable and consistent over time.

Cut-off Age

You will presumably be less capable to perform certain activities

Intersectionality

A concept developed by Kimberly that examines how race and gender intersect to create unique forms of discrimination. It highlights that oppression is not caused by just one factor, but rather the overlap of multiple factors. Over time, this idea has expanded to include other social identities, revealing the complexity and ambiguity in how people experience discrimination.

Social Location

A person’s position in society based on factors such as sex, gender, race, ethnicity, and social class. These categories influence a person’s access to resources and opportunities.

Social Structures

Stable patterns of social relationships that shape society. They function like the invisible framework of a house, forming the foundation upon which social life is built.

Agency

Our ability to act on our beliefs and exercise our own will

Demography

A science that examines the changing composition of human population

Age of Society

Defined by examining the distribution of age within a given population

Population Pyramid

Often used to visually represent the distribution of age in society

Birth Rate

The number of births in a given year per 1000 people

Death Rate

The number of deaths in a given year per 1000 people

Immigration

The process where immigrants contribute to the population growth in a new country, causing an influx in population.

Demographic Transition Model

Suggests that there has been a significant change in the demographic composition of the population, influenced by public health conditions, living conditions, and other factors. It is characterized by changes in birth rates, death rates, and living conditions.

Ageism

A term first coined by Butler in 1968, referring to the ways in which society discriminates based on age. It can manifest in three ways:

1. Attitudes and beliefs – Assumptions about older people, such as their ability to use technology or drive, which shape perceptions of aging.

2. Behaviours – Actions like dyeing gray hair or using anti-wrinkle creams to counter signs of aging.

3. Policies and practices – Institutional rules and norms that reinforce age-based discrimination.

Apocalyptic Demography

Fear of the aging population and the flood of older adults; looks at aging as a “great challenge” to sustain