age Flashcards
Marxists / neo marxist
PHILIPSON - argues that capitalism needs to continually renew its workforce who may be more productive. The elderly are forced to retire and therefore institutionally marginalised. The elderly then become dependent on society however as they are denied access to work. - link Johnson ageism in workplace
GRAMSCI - false class consciousness explains people do not realise their exploitation. For example, child benefit and pensions create dependency so elderly and youth don’t question their exploitation, accepting things such as zero hour contracts
BOND ET AL - ‘The political economy of old age’, those from lower social classes are more likely to suffer poverty in old age. Government state pensions are inadequate and therefore those who are elderly and from the lower social classes are discriminated against.
JONES - says the elderly are the new reserve army of labour as they face childcare and financial burdens to support their grandchildren.
Functionalists
PARSONS (OLD AGE) - disengagement theory; elderly disengage with previous roles and ‘harvest the fruits of their labours’ and enjoy recreational activities. Isolated from their families.
EISENSTADT - BRIDGE Argued that differential age groups enable individuals to learn and acquire new social roles and contribute to cohesion and solidarity. Youths’ need to go from ascribed status of child to achieved status of individual adult. Breaking away from the family home is difficult and emotionally stressful. Being part of a subculture provides a forum for the frustrations of this period and process. Suggest youth culture is inherently binding, in that shared interests with peers creates a sense of community.
CUMMING AND HENRY- suggests the way society the elderly has positive benefits as ‘social disengagement’ allows younger people to take their place in the labour market. States the process of disengagement from previous social roles is beneficial for social order (disengage from previous social roles and free up jobs for younger people)
postmodern
FEATHERSTONE AND HEPWORTH - Life course has become deconstructed, two processes occur; 1) De-differentiation - the process by which the differences between different stages of the
life course become less clear. 2) Deinstitutionalisation - the process by which the institutions of society become less
closely associated with maintaining different phases of the life course. There is also a ‘mask of aging’ due to surgeries like botox meaning youth and elderly are becoming more alike
PILCHER- blurring of life stages
Weberians
PARKIN - younger and older people are apart of ‘negatively privileged status groups’ as they are kept out of privileged status groups through social segregation.
BARRON AND NORRIS - ‘dual labour market theory’; elderly and younger people apart of secondary labour market with unstable, 0 hour contracts, and low pay whereas middle age in primary labour market.
