Last Semester Recap Flashcards
What is apocalyptic demography? Why is it criticized?
Apocalyptic demography is the overstating of negative effects of population aging. It is criticized for ignoring the social and economic contributions of older adults and promoting unnecessary fear.
What are the four aspects of individual aging?
Chronological, biological, psychological, and social aging.
What is ageism? What are its different forms?
Ageism is discrimination based on age. It can be individual (personal beliefs), institutional (laws and policies), or societal (media representations).
Explain the life course perspective and its key concepts.
timing and order of major life events and dialectical interplay between biographies, population aging
What are the five principles of the life course perspective?
- Aging is a lifelong process.
- People make choices within social constraints.
- Individuals are embedded in historical time and place.
- Timing of life events matters.
- Lives are linked through relationships.
Explain the difference between agency and social structure.
Agency refers to individual decision-making, while social structure refers to the external forces (e.g., class, gender) that shape opportunities.
population aging and where does it occur faster?
extent to which a population’s age structure is distributed in older ages
mortality rate & fertility rate both decrease occurs faster is developing countries bc of quick changes in health and fertility
medicalization and naturalization definitions
medicalization: view that aging is a disease state that can be “cured” by medical
naturalization: framing of problems that result from social relations as “the way things are”
3 life course conceptual dimensions
- life course histories and pathways
- agency and social structure
- micro and macro analyses
ethical dimensions surrounding elderly population
- ideological dimension (should individual or collectivism guide public policy)
- practice dimension (should elderly get heart transplant)
- professionalism dimension (standards of care in elderly facilities)
SES what does it mean?
socio-economic status
What is the difference between the medical model and social model of disability?
The medical model views disability as a biological problem, while the social model focuses on how societal barriers create disability.
What is embodied habitus? Provide an example.
Embodied habitus refers to cultural tastes and preferences related to the body. Example: Using Botox to appear youthful.
How does aging affect memory and what are the 2 types?
Episodic memory (specific events) declines, while semantic memory (facts and vocabulary) remains stable.
What is cognitive vitality?
The ability to maintain cognitive function and adapt to changes in aging.
competence vs. intelligence
competence is adaptive behaviour unique to specific situation
intelligence is verbal comprehension and reasoning
2 types of intelligence
fluid: neurological capacity/ adjust thinking to specific situation
crystallized: product of education and experience
episodic vs. semantic memory
episodic: retrieval of info acquired at specific time and place
semantic: common knowledge, vocab and concepts
ADL & IADL
ADL: activities of daily life that are needed like eating
IADL: instrumental activities of daily life like groceries or cleaning
What is the demographic transition, and what are its four stages?
developing countries went through 4 stages of demographic transition, affecting their population size and age structure:
o Population explosion (low mortality high birth rate)
o Population implosion (concentration of people in small areas, urbanization)
o Population “displosion” (more racial diversity bc of migration)
o “technoplosion” (rapid development and spread of technology)
What is the dependency ratio, and why is it rising?
The dependency ratio compares dependents (youth and elderly) to working-age adults (20-64). It’s rising due to population aging and less babies
