Age Inequality: 40 Mark Question Plan for Age Inequality Flashcards
P1 Supporting Point and location of inequality and age group affected (Functionalists)
Functionalists say disengagement theory in the Workplace causes age inequality for Elderly People
What is disengagement theory?
Where elderly people start to detatch themselves from their jobs
P1 Supporting Study (Functionalists)
Cumming and Henry
How will elderly people start to detatch themselves from their jobs?
They will reduce their working hours
What will elderly people eventually do with their jobs?
They will retire
According to Cumming and Henry, how is diesngagement beneficial to elderly people?
It helps with their wellbeing
According to Cumming and Henry, how is disengagement beneficial to wider society?
Young people can take up the roles the elderly have left
P1 Evaluation Study (Postmodernists)
Blaikie
What form of culture does Blaikie argue is present in postmodern societies?
Consumer culture
According to Blaikie, what does consumer culture offer to elderly people?
It gives them opportunities to keep healthy
Name 2 things that elderly people might use in consumer culture to stay healthy
Eating healthy foods, Doing workout programs
According to Blaikie, what will elderly people be able to do with work if they are slowing down ageing processes?
They can work longer
P2 Supporting Point and location of inequality and age group affected (Interactionists)
Interactionists argue Young People have moral panics made about them by the Media
P2 Supporting Studies (Interactionists)
Cohen, Fawbert
Which moral panic did Cohen study?
Mods and rockers moral panic
What was the reality with the fights the mods and rockers had together?
They were only small fights
What did the media create around the mods and rockers?
A moral panic
What did the media do in their reports of mods and rockers fighting in newspapers?
They sensationalised the behaviour
How did young people respond to seeing the mod and rocker fights in newspapers?
They wanted to join the fights
Why did young people want to join in with the mods and rocker fights after they were reported on?
They wanted to get their own 5 minutes of fame
What happened to the deviancy of the mods and rockers due to the moral panic?
There was deviancy amplification
How did the public feel about young people after the mods and rockers moral panic?
They became fearful of young people
Which moral panic did Fawbert study?
Hoodies moral panic
What started the hoodies moral panic?
The media said young people wearing hoodies were shopwater
Which shopping centre in Kent banned people from wearing hoodies?
Bluewater Shopping Centre
What was the reality with the amount of young people who committed crimes wearing hoodies?
It was only a small amount of young people
What did the public think of young people wearing hoodies after the moral panic?
They felt they were all criminals
P2 Evaluation Study (Other sociologists)
McRobbie and Thornton
What would McRobbie and Thornton say about the variety of media sources in the present day?
There is an abundance of media sources in the present day
Name 3 apps that act as media sources
Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter
What does it mean for the creation of moral panics due to the present day abundance of media sources?
It is difficult for a moral panic to be made
How will some media sources report on the actions by the hoodies or mods and rockers?
They will sympathise with the young people
P3 Point and location of inequality (New Right)
New Right sociologists argue age inequality has been made worse in the Workplace due to intervention from the state.
P3 Supporting Study (New Right)
Saunders
What does Saunders argue about elderly people saving money?
They do not save money
According to Saunders, what do the government state pensions say?
They say they will last someone through their life
What do elderly people not do while they are in the workplace due to government pension promises?
They do not save
What does Saunders argue has developed due to pension inequality?
Consumption cleavage
What is consumption cleavage?
When some elderly people can afford their own private services while others cannot
Which survey looked at 5000 pensioners?
Scottish Widow Pension
What did the Scottish Widow Pension find out of 5000 elderly people?
1/4 of them had no personal savings
P3 Evaluation Study (Marxists)
Philipson
What does Philipson argue is the main idea of capitalism?
To exploit workers for profit
What does Philipson say about elderly people state support?
They do not get enough support
According to Philipson, why do elderly people not get more state support?
So the bourgeoisie can keep more profit
What do the elderly end up forming a part of, according to Philipson?
Reserve army of labor
What 2 things in a workplace will the reserve army of labor accept?
Lower pay, Poorer working conditions
Why do the elderly form part of the reserve army of labor?
So they can afford their lifestyles
Why does the reserve army of labor allow for more exploitation by the ruling class?
Working for lower wages means more profit
P4 Point and location of inequality and age group affected (Feminists)
Feminists believe the double standard Elderly women face in the Media makes age inequality
P4 Supporting Study (Feminist)
Itzin
What standard did Itzin argue the media made for women?
Double standard
What do men gain status from in society, according to Feminists?
Employment
What do women gain status from in society, according to Feminists?
Their reproductive cycle
What happens in a patriarchal society to female status as they get older?
Their status decreases
According to Itzin, what do the media do to older women?
They put pressure on them to look young again
Name 2 things old women will buy to try and appear young
Makeup, Perfume
P4 Evaluation Study (Weberians)
Weber
What does Weber say about the status of all elderly people?
All elderly people have low status
According to Weber, how is age viewed in Western societies?
It is viewed negatively
What chances does Weber say are affected by lower status?
Life chances
What are life chances?
The opportunities people have to improve their quality of life
P5 Point and location of inequality and age group affected (New Right)
New Right sociologists believe the development of the underclass in Society has led to age inequality for Young People
P5 Supporting Study (New Right)
Murray
What does Murray argue about the upbringing of children in the underclass?
They have experienced inefficient primary socialisation
According to Murray, which parents are present in underclass family structures?
They only have a single mother present
What does Murray argue about single mothers teaching their boys how to behave?
They are unable to discipline their children
What do underclass children not learn with a father not being present?
They do not learn the importance of having a male breadwinner role model
If underclass children are not disciplined properly, what will they not respect in society?
They will not respect authority
What subcultures are underclass children more likely to join in schools?
Anti-school subcultures
What will be the impact on attainment for underclass children joining ASSC’s?
Their attainment will get lower
Due to not having a male breadwinner in underclass families, what will underclass children not understand when they become adults?
They will not understand the importance of going into legitimate employment
If educational attainment for underclass children is lower, what will be the situation for their job prospects?
They will have worse job prospects
P5 Evaluation Theory
Weberians
What would Weberians say about the New Right blaming Young People for being unemployed?
They should focus on market situation more
What is market situation?
Bargaining power people have in getting a job
What is beneficial to market situation in terms of money?
Wealth
What is beneficial to market situation in terms of what is developed through experience?
Skills
What is beneficial to market situation in terms of what people have obtained through education?
Qualifications
Why will young people have few qualifications and skills and wealth?
They have not had enough time to build these up
What does DfE Data (2020) show about the percentage of 16-24 year olds that are unemployed?
11.3% of 16-24 year olds are unemployed
What must you make the conclusion about?
Which sociological theory has the best explanation for age inequality
