Chapter 2

Question 1

a subfield within the wider field of gerontology; it focuses on the social side of aging while other subfields study the physical and biological aspects of aging

Answer 1

social gerontology

Question 2

these theories focus on individuals and their interactions; they are used to explain phenomena such as the relationship between adult children and their parents, changes in memory with age, and the effect of negative attitudes on older people’s self-esteem

Answer 2

micro-level theories

Question 3

these theories “examine social structures or structural elements as they influence experiences and behaviours”

Answer 3

macro-level theories

Question 4

a perspective that focuses almost exclusively on the micro level of social life; it looks at how people define situations, how they create social order, and how they relate to one another in daily life

Answer 4

Interpretive perspective

Question 5

this perspective holds that social order is based on consensus, cooperation, and shared norms and values, and that all parts of society serve a role or function to keep society in a state of balance or equilibrium

Answer 5

Functionalist perspective

Question 6

theoretical perspective based on the belief that knowledge is built by studying observable facts and their relationship to one another

Answer 6

positivist worldview

Question 7

a theory that focuses on the movement of age cohorts over the life course and on “the role of social structures in the process of individual aging and stratification by age in society”

Answer 7

age stratification theory

Question 8

a group of people born in the same period of time; for example, all the people born between 1950 and 1955 form an age cohort

Answer 8

age cohort

Question 9

a concept used in age stratification theory to describe a period of life defined by society, such as childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood

Answer 9

age grade

Question 10

a functionalist approach that bridges the micro and macro levels of analysis by incorporating social interaction and social structure within its framework

Answer 10

life course perspective

Question 11

changes in social status or social roles such as marriage, parenthood, divorce, remarriage, and widowhood.

Answer 11

transitions

Question 12

long-term patterns of stability and change that often include many transitions

Answer 12

trajectories

Question 13

a perspective that holds that society consists of conflicts between dominant and subordinate social groups

Answer 13

conflict perspective

Question 14

a theory that focuses on conflict and change in social life; it traces this conflict to the struggle between social classes and to the resulting dominance of some groups in society and the subordination of others

Answer 14

Political economy theory

Question 15

“macro level connections linking systems of oppression such as race, class, and gender”

Answer 15

Interlocking systems of oppression

Question 16

this theory says that disadvantages earlier in life accumulate and are magnified over the life course

Answer 16

Cumulative disadvantage theory

Question 17

an approach that views gender as a defining characteristic in social interaction and life experiences, as well as in the process and experience of aging; gender is seen as socially constructed, with men being more advantaged than women in society

Answer 17

feminist approach

Question 18

an approach that seeks to understand the “inside” of aging by examining the narratives or life stories that people tell in order to organize and make sense of their lives, and their experiences of aging

Answer 18

narrative gerontology

Question 19

a theory that focuses on shared values and social norms that shape popular beliefs in the legitimacy of certain practices and policies; this theory complements political economy theory

Answer 19

moral economy theory

Question 20

theoretical approaches that look “within” theory and research to critically examine and question the underlying and “taken-for-granted” assumptions about aging

Answer 20

Critical gerontology

Question 21

contrasts contemporary society with society in the recent past; for example, older people today can take on many roles in retirement, whereas in the past they had limited options after they retired

Answer 21

Post-modern theory

Question 22

effects on a person’s life related to physical decline or change due to the aging process

Answer 22

age effects

Question 23

an effect on a person’s life due to the time of measurement; this would include historical, social, or environmental effects, such as an ongoing war, changes in health habits (e.g., better nutrition), or changes in healthcare policies that have different influences on different age cohorts

Answer 23

period or environmental effects

Question 24

an effect on a person’s life related to the time of the person’s birth

Answer 24

cohort effects

Question 25

a research method that studies people from many age groups at one point in time

Answer 25

Cross-sectional research design

Question 26

a research method that looks at a single group of people at two or more points in time

Answer 26

Longitudinal research design

Question 27

a research method that examines different groups of people of the same age at different points in time (e.g., 70 year olds in 1989,1999, and 2009)

Answer 27

Time-lag comparison design

Question 28

a research method that looks at a series of cross-sectional studies during a longitudinal study

Answer 28

Sequential design

Question 29

research methods that use statistical methods and mathematical models to analyze data that include census data, national social surveys, and epidemiological studies

Answer 29

Quantitative methods

Question 30

refers to the use of more than one research method in a research study; for example, combining a quantitative survey with qualitative interviews, or two qualitative methods, such as interviews and focus groups

Answer 30

Mixed methods (or triangulation)

Question 31

research methods that include in-depth interviews, analysis of the content of documents or artifacts, and field observation; researchers use these methods to understand individuals’ social world and experience from the subjects’ own perspective

Answer 31

Qualitative methods

Question 32

promotes the use of research findings in the delivery of services to older people

Answer 32

Evidence-based practice