SOC100 Chapter 12- Aging

for exam #4

two extremes of old age:

decline + loneliness or golden leisure years

what is aging shaped by?

gender, race, social class, and historical context

personal resources vs structural factors

personal- optimism, problem-solving, energy

structural factors- economic opportunity, systemic racism, public policy

“graying”

growing proportion of the population aged 65 and older

graying is driven by what two trends?

1. fewer children being born

2. people living longer

aging

combination of biological, psychological, and social processes

biological clock

physical changes to the body over time, timing varies by genes, lifestyle and luck

examples: vision decline, hearing loss, wrinkles

psychological clock

changes in mind, memory, emotion, and cognition, memory and learning ability hold up well for most people well into old age

social clock

cultural norms and role expectations tied to age

functionalist view of age:

society needs roles for older adults suited to their stages of life

disengagement theory

it is functional for society to relieve older adults of major roles

activity theory

staying busy and engaged is functional for both individuals and society

ex: when one role ends, seek another (e.g. retiring → volunteering)

continuity theory:

well-being comes from activities consistent with past personality and preferences

ex: a retired teacher volunteering in schools is more fulfilling than generic “senior activities”

social conflict theory of aging:

problems like poverty and poor health are structurally produced

key insight into aging

aging is a life long process where early life shapes later life

early life advantages compound over time to…

better health, wealth, and well-being in old age

early adversities compound to…

poor health behaviors, economic strain, health problems

oldest old

85+ years, fastest-growing segment and most vulnerable to poverty, isolation and poor health

loneliness

subjective dissatisfaction with relationships, not just being alone

two types of loneliness

1. emotional loneliness (no intimate confidant)

2. social loneliness (no broader network)

ageism

discrimination based on age (prohibited under the age discrimination in employment act 1967)

common stereotypes of old people

older adults are lonely, frail, senile dependent, and old-fashioned

elder abuse

intentional harm or neglect by someone in a position of trust

different forms of elder abuse

• physical

• emotional

• sexual

• financial

• neglect

• abandonment

old-age dependency ratio

number of adults 65+ per 100 working-age adults (18-64)

high ratio of old-age dependency ratio

fewer workers to fund social security, medicare, and elder care

two pillars of retirement support

1. social security

2. medicare

generational equity

do government programs fairly balance needs of young vs. old?

demography

the scientific study of human population size, composition, and change, they track births, deaths, and migration to understand how populations shift

population change is driven by three forces

• births

• deaths

• migration

population flow equation

population change= (births-deaths) + (in-migration - out-migration)

natural increase equation

births-deaths

net migration equation

in-migration-out migration

crude birth rate

number of births per 1000 people per year

crude death rate

number of deaths per 1000 people per year

rate of natural increase

(CBR-CDR)/10

this is expressed by a percentage

toltal fertility rate

average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime

replacement level fertility

~2.1 children per woman (maintains stable population)

sub-replacement fertility

dewer young people → older average population age over time

life expectancy at birth

average number of years a newborn is expected to live

age-specific death rates

allow demographers to track mortality at each stage of life

population projections

estimates of future population based on assumptions about fertility, mortality, and migration

cohort0component method

demographers use this method that tracks each age cohort forward through time