Gero 19 Flashcards
Activity theory
Havinghurst and Roscow (1960s) Response to disengagement theory In order for adults to age successfully, they need to maintain engagement in social roles and activities they enjoyed in mid-life, given restrictions Supports the maintenance of regular activities, roles and social pursuits Persons who achieve optimal are are those who stay active As roles change, the individual finds substitute activities for these roles
Life satisfaction theory
Havinghurst, Neugarten, Tobin (1963) Life satisfaction is probably the most often indicator of effective adaptation to aging. If older people are satisfied with their present and past lives, then they are seen as having adapted to aging. Five components of life satisfaction: zest, resolution and fortitude, completion, self-esteem, outlook
Maslow’s hierarchy of Basic Human Needs
Maslow (1968) Lifespan theory - what motivates human life/behavior? As one need is met, the individual strives to meet the need at the next level Needs lower down in the hierarchy must be satisfied before individuals can attend to needs higher up. From the bottom of the hierarchy upwards, the needs are: physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem and self-actualization.
Five stages of the dying process
Kubler Ross (1969) DABDA Denial Anger Bargaining Depression Acceptance
Age Stratification Theory
Riley et al (1971) Theory that society and its institutions are organized into strata based on age and social class. They are further centered on norms, roles and privileges for each age and experience of a cohort. A sub theory looks at structural lag and how societal institutions do not keep up with changing cohorts of older persons.
Structural lag theory
Riley, Kohn and Foner (1994) A perspective that asserts there is a mismatch between societal needs and individual opportunities which occurs because of age-differentiated structures dictating that education is for youth, work for people in mid-life, and leisure for the old.
Exchange theory
Dowd (1975, 1980) The exchange theory of aging, proposed by James Dowd in 1975, is a social theory that addresses a perceived loss of status and power associated with aging. It is actually derived from a larger theoretical base known as social exchange theory. Social exchange theory in essence is an economic theory in which the social status of a person is determined by the ratio of rewards to costs associated with interaction with that person.
Social identity theory
Tajfel and Tuner (1979) Source of ageism Social identity is a person’s sense of who they are based on their group membership(s). Tajfel (1979) proposed that the groups (e.g. social class, family, football team etc.) which people belonged to were an important source of pride and self-esteem. Groups give us a sense of social identity: a sense of belonging to the social world.
Compression of morbidity
Fries and James (1980) hypothesis holds that if the age at the onset of the first chronic infirmity can be postponed more rapidly than the age of death, then the lifetime illness burden may be compressed into a shorter period of time nearer to the age of death. By minimizing the number of years people suffer from chronic illness, we enable older people to live more successful, productive lives that benefit themselves and society. When we consider healthcare reform and new approaches to structuring health care systems, we must recognize that by avoiding long-term periods of morbidity, we reduce healthcare costs and improve the lives of patients at the same time.
Stress and coping theory
Lazarus and Folkman (1984) Theory that as the individual ages, they experience stress through the problems and hardships that threaten well being and they use personal resources to adapt to these stresses. Stresses: Ambient stresses - interactions with community/neighbors. Role strains - instiutionalized role, family role Quotidian strains- logistical problems with ADLs Coping behavioral strategies: exercise, eating, drinking, etc. Social support - people in your life Self efficacy belief: you have power to affect the situation
Political economy theory
Estes et al (1984) Theory that economic class conflict is the root of political processes and exacerbates the effects of age, gender and race The major social institutions (government and corporations) create structured dependency for older adults
Types of aging
Brenn, Cunningham (1985) Primary aging - normal, disease free development during adulthood Secondary aging - changes that are related to disease, lifestyle, and other environmentally induced changes that are not inevitable Tertiary aging - the rapid losses that occur shortly before death
Life Course Theory
Neugarten (1985) Theory that analyzes a person’s life as they move through taking on socially defined roles and responsibilities with expectations for successive life stages. If an individual does not follow the normal life course, the deviation is still defined in terms of the expected life course.
Possible selves
Markus and Nurius (1986) Aspects of self-concept representing what we could become, what we would like to become, and what we are afraid of becoming.
Terror management theory
Greenberg, Pyszczykski and Solomon (1986) Terror management theory (TMT) is a social psychology theory originally proposed by Jeff Greenberg, Sheldon Solomon, and Tom Pyszczynski[1]. It proposes that a basic psychological conflict results from having a self-preservation instinct whilst realizing that death is inevitable and to some extent unpredictable. This conflict produces terror, and the terror is then managed by embracing cultural values, or symbolic systems that act to provide life with enduring meaning and value. Source of ageism
