Finals-Aging Flashcards
a 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
activity theory
Age stratification theory
a theory which states that members of society are stratified by age, just as they are stratified by race, class, and gender
people in the United States born between approximately 1946 and 1964
baby Boomers
centenarians
people over 100
a group of people who share a statistical or demographic trait
cohort
continuity theory
a 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 nonproductive citizens (young, disabled, elderly) to productive working citizens
disengagement theory
a theory which suggests that withdrawing from society and social relationships is a natural part of growing old
exchange theory
a 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
age and modernization theory
a theory which suggests that the primary cause of the elderly losing power and influence in society are the parallel forces of industrialization and modernization
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
a 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
a 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
Theories in the functionalist perspective on aging focus on…
the role of elders in terms of the functioning of society as a whole.
Theories in the conflict perspective on aging concentrate on…
how elders, as a group, are at odds with other groups in society.
theories in the symbolic interactionist perspective on aging focus on…
how elders’ identities are created through their interactions.
