Age and Inequality

what did Butler say

ageism as a process of negative stereotyping and discrimination against people based on their age

what is the Glasgow Effect

the unexplained poor health and low life expectancy of residents of Glasgow, Scotland, compared to the rest of the United Kingdom and Europe. Linked to lifestyle, environment and job

who is referred to as the ‘oldest old’

people over 85

by McKingsley

how many people experience ageism in the workplace

38% according to an MORI survey

what did Ginn and Arber say about being disadvantaged in the workplace

Pakistani and Bagladeshi women were particularly disadvantaged compared to their white British counterparts – reflecting disadvantage in the workplace

how many pensioners live in poverty

1.6 million

14%

how many excessive deaths were there last winter in England and Wales

31,000

most with people aged 75+

what did Carrigan and Szmigin argue

the advertising industry either either ignores or stereotypes old people

what are 2 other areas of age inequality

• Children and the elderly are most at risk of health problems

• There are age limits on things such as breast cancer that go unchallenged

what is the functionalist approach to age inequality

Functionalists view age stratification in terms of modernisation.

A key concept is disengagement – the marginalisation of old people.

Social roles are vacated by older people to leave to young people to pick up (Cumming and Henry) This maintains the social order.

Parsons: Age is an important mechanism for social integration by creating role sets based on age groups.

Eisenstadt said differential age groups allow individuals to learn and acquire new social roles and thus contribute to social cohesion.

critiques of the functionalist approach to age inequality

It assumes homogeneity of experience, whereas there is great diversity in the way people of the same age experience life.

It neglects issues of class, gender and ethnicity – all of which affect someone’s life chances, regardless of age

Marxist approach to age inequality

The reserve army of labour idea could be applied to people at both ends of the age spectrum.

Gramsci said a false consciousness exists, where people do not realise they are being exploited. The young and elderly accept their exploitation in the labour market – through things such as zero-hour contracts – without questioning it.

Child benefit and the state pension also can be seen as the ruling class legitimising its position as the powerful rule-makers in society.

Welfare provision is part of the ideological state apparatus, justifying capitalism

capitalism and age inequality

(Marxist)

Old age and retirement can be associated with a loss of status and power in society, so age is a source of inequality.

This decline is cultural as much as economic.

Dual labour market theory, negatively privileged status groups and glass ceiling are all concepts that can be applied to age

what is the Political Economy theory

(marxist)

Phillipson

Capitalism needs to continually renew its workforce to ensure greater profit by using young workers.

This means institutional marginalising of the elderly creating a forced dependency, whereby the elderly are dependent on the very society that denies them work (due to forced retirement)

feminist approach to age inequality

Ginn and Arber: Older women face inequalities older men don’t.

Itzin: men’s status is directly linked to their employment, whereas women’s status is linked to their reproductive cycle.

Daly: Owing to the above point, women feel the need to fight the signs of aging (cosmeticisation). Daly argues that this is part of a pressure for women to meet certain physical standards in society.

postmodern approach to age inequality

Featherstone and Hepworth

Individualisation and a destructured society have made age a fragmented and diverse social category

weberian approach to age inequality

Old age is characterised by a loss in status. This decline is cultural as much as economic.

Dual labour market theory, negatively privileged status groups and glass ceiling are all concepts that can be applied to age.

what did Turner say

(Weberian)

High status is given to those who own material goods.

In Western society, the old and young are least likely to own material goods.

If This is a two-way process between society and status, as status is dependent on the values of society

Labelling and age inequality

Ray et al: Argue that the negative labelling of old people creates a self fulfilling prophecy in which old people feel worthless.

Mask of old age: Views old age as a label, more than actual reality. Some old people may feel young, but look older. Therefore old age is a mask.

Powell and Biggs – those who can afford cosmetic surgery may create a ‘mask’ that prevents ageism.