Age: Social action theories

Question 1

What is a social action theory ?

Answer 1

• micro perspective
• look at economic and social capital as the cause
• Others look at the loss of social interaction for the elderly

Question 2

What does the Weberian theory say about age inequalities ?

Answer 2

• need to look at 3 parts: class, party and status
• Weber looked at the importance of market position
• If someone doesn’t have the skills such as the elderly with a lack of technological skills then they will have low status
• If someone is upper class and elderly, they don’t suffer the same loss of status because their financial wealth means they have a comfortable life

Question 3

What did Parkin say about negatively privileged status groups ?

Answer 3

• discussed ethnic minorities and inequality
• Ethnic minorities are kept out of high-status groups due to social segregation
• The elderly are often a group who are socially excluded
• Often segregated through the media, in employment, living arrangements

Question 4

What is the Activity theory ?

Answer 4

• staying mentally and physically active increases someones happiness
• Looks at what happens when social norms withdraw social interaction from individuals
• These social interactions remove negative experiences of ageing

Question 5

What did Havinghurst say about activity theory ?

Answer 5

• Published this theory as a critique of Activity theory
• Argues that inequality is about more than just age

Question 6

What did Statham say about activity theory ?

Answer 6

• researched grandparents providing childcare
• means that social interaction may change the inequalities faced by the elderly who are isolated

Question 7

What did Turner say about the exchange theory ?

Answer 7

• age discrimination is best understood in terms of status
• In western society, both teens and elderly are stigmatised as they don’t have what it takes to become high status
• In societies based on consumption - those with limited material goods have low status
• inequality is not only about economic capital but also due to values on society
• Status dictates ones position in society and is relative to that society

Question 8

What do interactionists say about labelling ?

Answer 8

• Labelling by the media causes a self-fulfilling prophecy
• The elderly are labelled as dependent on other so therefore become dependent

Question 9

What did Victor say about labelling ?

Answer 9

• if older people are labelled as lonely and dependent then the stereotypes become reality

Question 10

What did S.Cohen say about labelling ?

Answer 10

• moral panics are an explanation for why young people face inequality by the media

Question 11

What are the evaluation of social action theory ?

Answer 11

• discuss ideas with a micro approach - this is good as it considers the effects of other factors such as wealth and ethnicity
• They fail to recognise the structural causes of inequality (e.g capitalism and patriarchy)