Functionalists age

1 Parsons

disengagement theory

• relates age differences to the overall functioning of social system

• diff social roles associated with age groups are vital for the smooth functioning of society

• older ppl actively disengage from some social roles leaving them for young people to pick up leaving then to the periphery of society

• disengagement is functional as it allowed industrial society to operate using nuclear families where clear roles are defined

• elderly in the USA have less status than most other societies

• once kids have grown up and men have retired the elderly lose their most important social roles

• become relatively distant from their children who are beginning to focus on marriage, children rather than parents

DU: Hockey and James: older people become infantilised by family and care workers

the way their spoken to

controls based on them like money and bedtimes

= elderly have less status and play less important roles in society

1 parsons CA

Marx - castles and kossack

• argue older people do not choose to disengage but are instead scapegoated by the media and then seen as less valuable to society

• this negative labelling elderly as ‘disengaging’ and blaming is only functional for the ruling class rather than society as a whole

2 Eisenstadt

stages of transition

• adolecense is a time when kids develop independence and shift away from their primary loyalty from parents to partners

• youth culture involves a degree of rebelling against parental discipline which creates a transitionary culture within youth

• in mod societies the degree of freedom can cause problems and kids become deviant, isolated with uncertain roles

• transitionary period will benefit youth as they can experiment w identities and roles

• during youth itself youth are more likely to avoid role that need commitment and maturity hence why they down reap economic rewards

• youth focus on self discovery hence/ justifying the lower incomes/ store of wealth and status

• its functional for both youth and society as it allows youth time in which they can transition to adulthood but this isn’t rewarding anything so they won’t stay in it forever and will eventually mature into a well rounded member of society

DU:

Hebdige - punks going through a stage of rebellion and self expression which takes over responsibility/ work.

2 Eisenstadt CA

Parkin - Weberian

• their inequalities are a result of exclusion strategies from older members of society like minimum wage for under 21s and under 18s

• youth inequality is the result of excluding structural factors rather than young peoples individual expression

3 Davis and Moore

role allocation theory

role allocation theory

• functional uniqueness

• - older ppl have lower levels in income

• young ppl have low levels of income because they’re just beginning and they’re yet to rise through the ranks

• they are fairly allocated their role based on limited skills and experience

• youth are unlikely to have unique skills until. they finish education/ training nor in management jobs where people rely on them

• older ppl find that their skills are no longer functional for the modern labour market eg in the 60/70s typing was a lesson at school yet that is not longer needed bc of transcription

• youth and elderly are not given the best jobs nor highest wages

DU: Garrod - 950k young people age 16-24 are NEETS

• not employed, education or training

• backs up Davis and Moore as younger people are out of work, education, training, lack functional uniqueness and therefore are not worthy of high-status/ decent pay

3 Davis and Moore CA

Marx - young peoples lower wages are a result of capitalistic exploitation

young ppl don’t own the means of production and have only their labour to sell and htjefore become victims of the cap system where they are exploited with low pay and shit conditions

it is difficult for young ppl to then develop skills needed to make them functionally unique

4 young

meritocracy

• the reason why young and old have less income/ status is because they have less merit

• youth have less skill as not fully trained so deserve less rewards

DU skills and education act 2008, finalised in 2013 making education mandatory till 17 and 2015 till 18

• young people less likely to be exposed to working environments where they’d learn skills that help them climb the career ladder

4 young CA

castels and kossack

• young ppl don’t receive the appropriate reward compared to their skills and effort

• ruining class deliberately exclude young ppl form gaining access to senior roles and wealth

• they have major use for young ppl in the job market and that is to be RAOL

• workers supported by trade unions become powerful and can change the balance between wc and rc

• young in RAOL can be hired and fired at will and act as a warning to the workers who can be replaced if necessary