Age Inequality: Sociologists Flashcards
Cummings and Henry
Functionalism: ‘Disengagement Theory’
A person’s abilities are likely to deteriorate as they age, so there is a need for the individual to be relieved of some of their responsibilities and roles.
These roles must be fulfilled for social stability to be maintained.
Gramsci
Neo-Marxism: ‘False consciousness’ explains that people do not realise their exploitation through the money they receive such as child benefits and pensions.
The elderly and young do not question their exploitation but keep accepting things like zero hour contracts.
Phillipson
Marxism: believes capitalism needs to continually renew its workforce to make sure there is great profit.
The elderly are made to retire so the needs of the economy are met as younger employees take their place.
The elderly then depend on society as they are denied access to work which lowers their status.
Arber and Gin
Feminism: Age affects a woman’s status and power, as older women face inequalities that older men do not.
Men’s status is down to employment, while a woman’s seems to be linked to her reproductive cycle.
Women feel immense pressure to fight the signs of ageing.
Weber
Weberian: Weber looked at the importance of someone’s market position, which could explain the low status of both the elderly and young. If someone does not have the skills required in the marketplace, then they will suffer low status. However, if someone is upper class and becomes elderly, their financial resources mean that they will not suffer the same loss of status.
Parkin
Social Action Theories: ethnic minorities could be kept out of high-status privileged groups, due to social segregation, leaving them to suffer.
The elderly are often socially segregated too.
Havinghurst
Social Action Theories: published this theory in critique of disengagement theory.
He argued the inequality is more about social interaction than just age.
Statham
Social Action Theories: research on grandparents providing childcare may mean that social interaction continues.
This could potentially change the inequalities faced by some elderly who are isolated.
Turner
Social Action Theories: in a society based on consumption, high status is given to those who have material goods.
If the elderly and young are least likely to have material goods, they will have low status.
However, in some societies where power and age are linked, the elderly will have high status.
This shows that status is relative to that society and age may be a factor that brings high or low status depending on the key values of a society.
Cohen
Social Action Theories: looked at moral panics
This is relevant here to explain age inequality in the media.
Laczko and Phillipson
Postmodernism: researched early retirement and found that the inequality faced by some elderly people was due to lack of wealth, not ageing itself.
This led to the idea that explanations of age inequality focus too much on imaginary boundaries of age.
Many people who are wealthy enough to retire early show that it can be a positive experience.
Blaikie
Postmodernism: states that the idea of ageing can be positive, with the idea of a fourth age filled with active but leisure-based pursuits.
J.B. Priestly
Postmodernism: stated ageing was like someone had kidnapped him and made him old, yet behind his appearance he had the same thoughts as when he was younger.
These ideas have been seem as similar to wearing a mask.
This shows the inequalities faced by the elderly are more to do with labelling than ageing.
Powell and Biggs
Postmodernism: the use of technology and cosmetic surgery allows some to continually re-create themselves.
While this may mean that age discrimination against the elderly is just based on the ‘mask’, it is impossible to tell.
Those who can afford to re-create themselves may suffer less ageism due to other factors such as wealth.
