Age Inequalities

Question 1

How do interpretivists view age inequality?

Answer 1

They believe that age is socially constructed and there is no meanings attached to age

Question 2

What do the interpretivists Prout and James 1990 say?

Answer 2

Age is socially constructed and varies in different societies.

Question 3

What do Carrigan and Szmigin say about age inequality?

Answer 3

Stereotypes become reality.
Age discrimination happens in the media, shows elderly as useless and lonely which causes the elderly to become like this.

Question 4

What does the interpretivist Cohen 1972 say?

Answer 4

Moral panics would be a relevant explanation for the inequality the youths face in the media.

Question 5

What is the key term that Interpretivists Hockey and James use?

Answer 5

Infantilisation

Question 6

What does Weber say about age inequality?

Answer 6

Both the young and elderly have low status because of their age.
Young people lack the power to make changes in their society and lack the market position.

Question 7

What does Weberian Parkin 1968 say?

Answer 7

Negatively privileged status groups.

Young, elderly and ethnic minorities kept out because of social segregation.

Question 8

What do weberians Barron and Norris say?

Answer 8

Dual labour market theory.

Young in the secondary labour market.

Question 9

What do feminists Amber and Ginn 1991 say?

Answer 9

Wrote that when looking at inequality and women, factors such as age will affect their power and status.

Question 10

What does the feminist Itzin say?

Answer 10

Women face a double standard. Women’s status is linked to their reproductive cycle.
Women status devalues after childbearing age.

Question 11

What does the feminist Gannon say?

Answer 11

Looks at myth of ageing.
Ageing is to do with lifestyle choices and not biology.
1. Andocentric, female hormones are the problem.
2. Scientific discourses, base ageing on biology not lifestyle.
3. Dualisitic notions, menopause is seen as a disease, ageing processes are diseases.

Question 12

What does the feminist Oakley say?

Answer 12

Women and children are shown as mutually dependent and they share mutualities oppression.
5 ways children are more oppressed then women:
1. adults speak for children
2. childhood issues are ignored
3. children lack the same rights as adults
4. children have to conform to adults
5. society is ‘adult centred’

Question 13

What is cosmeticisation and which feminist uses it?

Answer 13

It means the pressure women face to look as if they’re not ageing such as botox or plastic surgery.
Itzin

Question 14

What does functionalist parsons say about age inequality?

Answer 14

The importance of institutions is to maintain social solidarity.
Certain age groups have norms and values that could threaten this solidarity.
eg rebellious youths

Question 15

What do functionalists cumming and Henry say?

Answer 15

Suggests the way society treat the old is beneficial for society.
Process of social disengagement allows the younger to take their place in the labour market with minimal disruption.

Question 16

What does Parsons say about middle age?

Answer 16

Women and men have different roles, instrumental and expressive.
Because of this women face more pressure then ageing then men, eg looking after children and their own parents.

Question 17

What does Parsons say about old age?

Answer 17

Elderly have less status in society and lose their most important role in the family.
Disengagement theory, designed a period of disengagement.

Question 18

What does the functionalist Eidenstadt say about youths.

Answer 18

He says youths need to go from ascribed status to achieved status.
Youths do face an element of inequality.
Forum of frustrations.

Question 19

What does Neo-marxist Gramsci say?

Answer 19

False class consciousness through concessions they receive eg the need for a pension and child benefit.
Hegemony, ruling through deception
These benefits create a state of dependency

Question 20

What does Marxist Bond say?

Answer 20

Those from lower social classes are more likely to suffer poverty in old age.
Government state pensions are inadequate and therefore those on them are discriminated against.

Question 21

What does the Marxsist Vincent say?

Answer 21

Age is a potential source of: 
conflict
exploitation
discrimination 
Links old age to capitalism and the needs of the economy

Question 22

What does the marxist Philipson say?

Answer 22

Argues that capitalism needs to continually renew its workforce who may be more productive
The elderly become institutionally marginalised.

Question 23

What does the postmodernist Polhemus say?

Answer 23

Youths are non-homogenous and shop at the ‘supermarket of style’

Question 24

What do the postmodernists Laczko and Philipson say?

Answer 24

Researched early retirement and found that the inequality faced by some elderly was due to wealth and not ageing itself.

Question 25

What do postmodernists featherstone and Hepworth say?

Answer 25

The life course has begun to be deconstructed and 2 processes have taken place.

1. de-differentiation, stages between life courses are less clear
2. deinstitutionalisation, society is less associated of age and institutions