Age and identity

General

- different ages are linked to different types of identity eg. teenagers as moody, elderly as slow/senile.
- age can be described as biological clock where behavioural changes are due to genetics.
- social influences of age- social dimension to aging- different values/norms/expectations of behaviour associated with different ages.
- behaviour is not fixed/strict to a certain age group- age is considered differently across cultures- eg. in China the elderly are respected the most, in UK they are seen as a burden.

Aries

- social attitudes of age change over time- in medieval times childhood did not exist, children worked on farms, as chimney sweeps etc.
- children were 'little adults' who took part in the same work/leisure as adults.- children seen as an economic asset- more children\=more money.
- childhood is a social construct.

Social Construction of Age

- we think of people in terms of their age group eg. infants, teenagers.
- the age group we belong to impacts greatly on our identity and status.
- age influences jobs/social lives/marriage/sex.
- stereotypes/assumptions linked to every age group- can mould identities.
- British Social Attitudes Survey 2011- age is strongest 'bonding factor' when it comes to identity.

Youth

- 12-25 y.o.- seen as searching for their identity.
- identity expressed through youth subcultures eg. mods/rockers, hippies, punks, goths.

Functionalist- Confused Youth

- Parsons/Elsenstadt- formation of youth as a normal traditional stage- way of coping with status frustration which arises when entering adulthood.
- young people often confused with their identities, neither children nor adults, will experiment with different styles/roles to find their true selves.
- provide mutual peer support.
- AO3- does not explain wide range of youth styles/cultures ie. gender/ethnicity etc.

Marxist- Rebellious Youth

- diversity of youth subculture is result of differences in social class positions- connect subcultures with stereotypes of young people as 'rebels'.
- Hall/Jefferson- subcultures arise in protest to inequality/exploitation- protests through subcultural styles ie. dress/music- resistance through ritual.
- Cohen- arise to re-establish sense of community/social cohesion lost by parents' culture due to lack of manual work/mass unemployment.
- Hebdige- skinhead style is attempt to recreate lost traditional w/c community- Dr Martens, toughness, resistance to authority.
- AO3- Bennett- people may join for fun, not for resistance.
- little attention paid to m/c youth, minority ethnic groups, girls.

Feminist- Invisible Youth

- youth subculture case studies were written by men about male subcultures- girls only seen as tagging along as girlfriends- invisible/ignored otherwise.
- McRobbie- youth subcultures (esp. skinheads/punks) were dominated by men due to:
- gender role socialisation.
- strict control by parents.
- concerns for girls' personal safety.
- McRobbie- female subcultures took form of 'bedroom culture'- focus on reading, listening to music, makeup, fashion, boys, romance etc.
- AO3- Lincoln- bedroom culture also found within male subcultures due to internet access, social networking- take place in the home.

Postmodernist- Neo-Tribes

- increasing diversity of youth identities- reject subcultures.
- old style youth identities fading away- now follow lifestyles based on individual tastes.
- Thornton- subcultures replaces by media-generated taste clubs/music cultures- instead of forming subcultures based on gender/class etc. they form them through mutual tastes/fashions- able to have multiple identities.
- still neo-tribes with recognisable cultural styles but they are short-lived.
- Bennett- youth no longer forming fixed subcultures- are able to pick and mix subcultures to their styles- hybrid identities.

Old Age

- UK has an ageing population- more old people than young.
- McKingsley- fastest growing sector is the 'oldest old'- ages 85+, no clear age boundaries that catergorise 'old'- so old age is a construct.

Two Nations

- pensioners split into 2 categories/nations
- for many w/c people old age means poverty- means they cannot construct identities based on leisure pursuits.
- other half can afford to enjoy active, lively retirements with the 'grey pound'
- social class impacts on experiences of getting old.

Third Age- Laslett

- life expectancy has increased economic security- people can enjoy life in their 'third age'.
- this demands better health and money put into social care to help those in the 'third age'.
- media targets those in 'third age' as they create new identities/exploring new things.
- AO3- difficult for w/c to create new identities/leisure pursuits due to poverty.

Ageism/Stigmatisation

- suffer prejudice/discrimination/ageism due to negative stereotypes eg. low intelligence, forgetful, grumpy, ill, dependent.
- leads to them being portrayed negatively in media- infantilised, denied sexual identity, difficult to get travel insurance, losing jobs, facing barriers to proper medical treatment.
- Equality Act 2010- ageism has reduced.
- 2011- retirement age legally abolished.
- old age considered stigmatised identity.
- mask of old age- younger grandparents and 'old' people generally who do not feel old feel they have to put on the 'mask of old age' where they act older than they feel- they may enjoy being active but are forced into the roles of the stereotypical elderly/old.