chapter 13: aging and the elderly Flashcards
activity theory
theory which suggests that for individuals to enjoy old age and feel satisfied, they
must maintain activities and find a replacement for the statuses and associated roles they have
left behind as they aged
age stratification theory
theory which states that members of society are stratified by age, just
as they are stratified by race, class, and gender
ageism
discrimination based on age
baby boomers:
Americans born between approximately 1946 and 1964
centenarians
people 100 years old or older
cohort:
a group of people who share a statistical or demographic trait
continuity theory
theory which states that the elderly make specific choices to maintain
consistency in internal (personality structure, beliefs) and external structures (relationships),
remaining active and involved throughout their elder years
dependency ratio:
the number of productive working citizens to non-productive (young,
disabled, or elderly)
disengagement theory
theory which suggests that withdrawing from society and social
relationships is a natural part of growing old
elder abuse
when a caretaker intentionally deprives an older person of care or harms the person
in their charge
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exchange theory
theory which suggests that we experience an increased dependence as we age
and must increasingly submit to the will of others, because we have fewer ways of compelling
others to submit to us
filial piety
deference and respect to one’s parents and ancestors in all things
geriatrics
a medical specialty focusing on the elderly
gerontocracy:
a type of social structure wherein the power is held by a society’s oldest members
gerontology:
a field of science that seeks to understand the process of aging and the challenges
encountered as seniors grow older
gerotranscendence
the idea that as people age, they transcend limited views of life they held in
earlier times
grief
a psychological, emotional, and social response to the feelings of loss that accompanies death
or a similar event
hospice:
health care that treats terminally ill people by providing comfort during the dying process
life course
the period from birth to death, including a sequence of predictable life events
life expectancy
the number of years a newborn is expected to live
modernization theory
theory which suggests that the primary cause of the elderly losing power
and influence in society are the parallel forces of industrialization and modernization
physician-assisted suicide:
the voluntary use of lethal medication provided by a medical doctor
to end one’s life
primary aging
biological factors such as molecular and cellular changes
secondary aging
aging that occurs due to controllable factors like exercise and diet
selective optimization with compensation theory
based on the idea that successful personal
development throughout the life course and subsequent mastery of the challenges associated
with everyday life are based on the components of selection, optimization, and compensation
senescence
the aging process, including biological, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual
changes
social gerontology
a specialized field of gerontology that examines the social (and sociological)
aspects of aging
subculture of aging theory
theory that focuses on the shared community created by the elderly
when they are excluded (due to age), voluntarily or involuntarily, from participating in other
groups
thanatology
the systematic study of death and dying
