Age Identity Flashcards
What do sociologists observe about age
The only aspect of identity for which we will all experience changing effects
What did Bradley (1996) identify
Five major generational stages of age identity in the UK
Name the 5 Generational stages of age Bradley identified
Childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle age and old age
What is evidence behind the 5 Generational stages of age
That in these five phases of life we experience varying statuses and these shape other peoples behaviour towards us.
What do other sociologists consequently argue about the stages of life
That these major chronological stages of our lives are socially constructed
What is childhood regarded as in the UK
As a special, innocent and vulnerable period in which the youngest members of society are generally cosseted and protected by their parents and the state.
In other cultures how much childhood be viewed differently
It may not be seen as a period of innocence, for example in many societies children work long hours in dangerous occupations
What does Postman (1982) argue
That the period of childhood in the UK has been considerably shortened in the 20th century because children are allegedly exposed to adult influences via television and digital media too soon. He suggests this may lead eventually to the disappearance of childhood all together.
What is the adolescence stage
Is the period between puberty and the achievement of full adult status - the teenage years
What is the adolescence (youth) stage
Is the period between puberty and the achievement of full adult status - the teenage years
In many pre-industrial societies is youth recognised as a life stage
No
In pre-industrial societies what would happen as the child hits puberty
They go through ceremonies or rituals known as rites of passage after which they take on adult responsibilities. For example, females are initiated in skills by older women to prepare them for marriage while boys are trained for adult roles as hunters.
What does young adulthood refer to
The period between leaving the parental home and middle-age.
What does young adulthood typically involve
Independence from parents and taking responsibility for the first time like paying their own rent.
What does Bradley (1996) claim about the middle-age
The middle-aged have higher status than teenagers and the elderly because this age-group makes up the majority of those with wealth and power.
What is the sole indication of the middle-age
That children have grown up and left home leaving more money available for leisure pursuits.
What is the middle-age sometimes characterised by
The psychological doubts symbolised by the ‘mid-life crisis’
What does Robert observe
That the UK culture admires youthful bodies and sees ageing bodies as representing ugliness
What did Corner (1999) find
That elderly people subscribe to a negative self-identity. Many described themselves as a ‘burden’.
What were the elderly in traditional societies seen as
Someone to have great respect for and have status by the young and their experience and wisdom are seen as important resources.
What do Hockey and James (1993) argue
They link old age and childhood. They observe that they are socially constructed in similar wats. They argue that both children and the elderly are rarely treated as independent persons, and instead society subjects them to infantilisation (treated as if they are helpless)
Give an example of Hockey and James research
Looking at the treatment of elderly in care homes found that they were deliberately kept in a state of dependancy.
How can care homes for the elderly be described
As ‘total institutions’ which take away all aspects of an elderly persons identity by controlling all aspects of their lives, particularly their finances, daily routine and private practices.
What did Hockey and James conclude this treatment of elderly people to lead to
It will lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy as previously independent minded individuals eventually succumb to the care homes definition of ideal inmate.
Define self-fulfilling prophecy
A process by which individuals are labelled in a manner predicting their future behaviour and because they come to see themselves as they have been labelled start to live up to the prediction
What do postmodernists argue about age identities
That they are changing. For example, people are now living longer, meaning we should now differentiate between the ‘young old’ (ages 65-74) and the ‘middle old’ (ages 75-84) and the ‘old old’ (ages 85+)
What do Featherstone and Hepworth argue
That the media images of ageing are changing and are less likely to be derogatory or condescending towards the elderly. This could suggest that age identity is increasingly fluid and less significant
