Ageing and Society Flashcards
List the political and social constructionist perspectives to explain prejudices and anxieties attached to ageing in British society.
1) Disengagement theory - Psychology
= Older people disengaged themselves from roles occupied in society so younger generations have opportunities e.g. work and in family become less central to lives of their children
2) Structured dependency theory - Political economy
= Old people don’t disengage naturally but are actively excluded from social engagement because of their lack of resources
3) The Third Age - Social construction
= Baby boom generation have a different experience with a rewarding old age due to strong economic position whereby increasing period of life spent in retirement and even choosing early retirement
4) The Fourth Age - Social construction
= New definition of old age involving frailty and decrepitude that has been left behind after age is affirmed as a positive form of identity
How did geriatric medicine arise out of an attempt to recuperate older people, both medically and socially, and restore to them the medical attention that they need?
Social (Marjory Warren ≈ changed patient journey in her hospital and ward) + Medical (medicalisation of human life course and ‘good death’)
Social: Marjory Warren who lived in the early to mid 20th century created the UK’s first geriatric unit in 1930s when Poor Law Infirmary was incorporated into West Middlesex Hospital and chronically ill elderly patients were acquired.
Medicalisation of human life course: Ageing and the ‘good death’ = providing an environment where experience of death is as good as possible for dying patient and those they leave behind. Something patients, families, doctors and other carers have strong views about.
