Age inequalities

Question 1

What does Laslett claim?

Answer 1

There are 3 stages of life:

• Socialisation
• Independence
• Dependence

Question 2

What is the legal amount of hours that a 14/15 year old can work in one week?

Answer 2

12 hours a week

Question 3

What is the minimum wage for 16 year olds in the UK?

Answer 3

£4.62

Question 4

What percentages of 2006 discrimination cases regarded age?

Answer 4

38%

Question 5

In what year did retirement age reach equal for men and women?

Answer 5

2018

Question 6

What is a demographic time bomb?

Answer 6

Having more people require require financial support from the government than those working.

Question 7

What does recent evidence show about working post-retirement?

Answer 7

Many 50+ are working post-retirement as they cannot afford to do so otherwise.

Question 8

How many children are living in poverty in the UK?

Answer 8

3.5 million

Question 9

What is the digital divide?

Answer 9

The idea that there is a gap between young and old peoples’ ability to use and familiarity with technology.

Question 10

What does Dowd say in relation to the ‘digital divide’?

Answer 10

Dowd introduced the idea that the elderly are ‘strangers in their own land’ as they can’t cope with changes in technology. Creates a cultural barrier.

Question 11

What percentage of UK pensioners live in poverty?

Answer 11

16%

Question 12

What is fuel poverty?

Answer 12

Older people spending over a tenth of their income on fuel, sometimes having to choose between eating or warmth.

Question 13

How may elderly be advantaged regarding income and poverty?

Answer 13

Those 50 and above are most likely to own their own house.

Question 14

What things may young girls suffer from?

Answer 14

FGM, underage marriage and educational inequalities.

Question 15

What two things does Parsons say about age inequalities?

Answer 15

1) Since industrialisation, social mobility has become more common and so age is of more importance.
2) Youth culture acts as a bridge between youth and adulthood and is essential for the creation of a functional member of society.

Question 16

What does Pilcher say about age inequalities?

Answer 16

Age is important as it allows people to move from one social institution to another without conflicting the functioning of society.

Question 17

What is a criticism of Pilcher?

Answer 17

Society may be disrupted through extended childhood and adulthood.

Question 18

What group of sociologists introduced the disengagement theory?

Answer 18

New Right thinkers

Question 19

What does Cummings and Henry say about the disengagement theory?

Answer 19

Old people will soon die so should be relieved of their responsibilities as they begin to deteriorate.

Question 20

What is a criticism of the disengagement theory?

Answer 20

Old people deteriorate at different ages and the youth may not always undertake these jobs in return.

Question 21

How do Marxists believe the youth maintain capitalism?

Answer 21

The youth maintain capitalism through flexible hours and cheap labour.

Question 22

Who are the four Marxist thinkers who comment on age inequalities?

Answer 22

Phillipson, Kidd, Engel and Gramsci

Question 23

What did Phillipson believe?

Answer 23

The elderly are neglected by the capitalist system as they become useless.

Question 24

What did Kidd believe?

Answer 24

The elderly are disliked as they become dependant on the system through welfare and health provision.

Question 25

What is a criticism of Kidd?

Answer 25

Some elderly are financially successful as they have accumulated wealth and assets throughout their lifetime.

Question 26

What did Gramsci mean by Legitimation of Authority?

Answer 26

The elite maintain authority through the FCC, benefitting off certain age groups for certain reasons.

Question 27

What did feminists Arber and Ginn believe?

Answer 27

Age introduces struggles that women only women face, such as menopause and pressure to look youthful.

Question 28

What are 2 criticisms of Arber and Ginn?

Answer 28

1) Patriarchy doesn’t necessarily cause these problems

2) Men also struggle to fight aging

Question 29

What does Marxist Engel claim about the Reserve Army of labour?

Answer 29

The young and old benefit capitalism through Reserve Army of Labour as they are more likely to work during times of ‘boom’.

Question 30

What are the 4 postmodernist theories about age inequalitites?

Answer 30

1) Old age is positive
2) The mask of old age
3) New technology and ageism
4) Globalisation

Question 31

What do postmodernists mean by ‘old age as a positive thing’?

Answer 31

Consumer culture shows the elderly as having the ‘grey pound’, which is desired by retail.

Question 32

What do postmodernists mean by ‘the mask of old age’?

Answer 32

The elderly feel that they look old but feel young.

Question 33

What does Priestly say about ‘the mask of old age’?

Answer 33

It was like someone kidnapped his youthful image and made him old.

Question 34

What does Blaikie say about ‘old age as a positive thing’?

Answer 34

Old age is filled with active but leisure-based activities.

Question 35

What do postmodernists mean by ‘new technology and ageism’?

Answer 35

Wealthy people fight ageing with new cosmetics and surgery and so money creates inequality across that age group rather than ageing itself.

Question 36

What does Briggs say about ‘new technology and ageism’?

Answer 36

People can find joy in ‘continually recreating themselves’.

Question 37

What do postmodernists say about globalisation and age inequalities?

Answer 37

Some cultures believe the elderly have high status, and so age inequalities are socially constructed and differ between groups.

Question 38

What does social action theorist Turner say about age inequalities?

Answer 38

Based on the low status that the youth and elderly have.