CONFLICT THEORIES Flashcards
Marxism - elderly.
Elderly provide free childcare which is good for capitalism as it means that the young and able will be able to work.
Marxism - youth.
Both an asset and an issue to the needs of capitalism. Cheap source of labour and new skills.
Marx - reserve army of labour.
Necessary part of capitalism. Applied to both the young and elderly who can be used in boom times as temporary labour.
Phillipson - reserve army of labour.
Elderly have been historically used as a reserve army of labour, but this role has grown in recent years. Social construction to benefit bourgeoise.
Gramsci - legitimation of authority.
False consciousness explains that people do not realise their exploitation often through concessions that they receive. Creates a form of dependency.
Phillipson - political economy theory.
Argues that the elderly are placed in a negative position as a burden on the economy.
Townsend & Phillipson - political economy theory.
Institutionalised dependency makes the elderly retire. In reality, forced dependency then takes place whereby the elderly become dependent on society.
Marxism - criticism.
Ignores the lack of a homogeneous experience of age.
Macro approach - ignores factors such as, gender, nationality and disability.
Phillipson & Townsend - criticism.
In many industries and jobs, the elderly are not systematically marginalised and are able to work into their old age.
Arber & Ginn.
Factors such as age affect women’s power and status. Older women face inequalities, older men do not.
Itzin.
Claimed that women face a double standard. Men’s status is directly linked to their employment, whereas women’s is linked to their reproductive cycle.
Daly.
Global practices that women are made to comply with, such as FGM, show that women are expected to conform to certain physical standards men are not.
Arber and Ginn - criticism
Always going to be from the perspective of patriarchy, this may lead to them missing the real cause of inequality e.g. poverty.
Feminism - criticism.
Macro nature, ignores the fact that females whether older or younger, are not a homogenous group.
Criticism - Currie.
Males are also going through pressure to cosmeticise. Magazines such as FHM encourage males to stay young and fight the ageing process.
