Midterm

Question 1

Aging stats

Answer 1

2015, 8.5% of the worlds population was 65 or over (617 million)

By 2050 there will be around 1.6 billion

Boomers make up 27% of Canadian population

Question 2

Centenarians

Answer 2

People who reach 100 years of living

Question 3

Life expectancy

Answer 3

Average number of years a person is projected to live at birth or specific age

Canada:
Women 84
Men 80
Overal 81.3

Question 4

Lifespan

Answer 4

The fixed, finite max limit of survival for species

About 120 for humans

Question 5

Age identity

Answer 5

Result of a subjective experience representing the psychological and social meaning of age rather than chronological

Illustrates how aging is socially constructed

Some people feel older or younger than their chronological age

Grandparents usually feel younger

Question 6

Ageism

Answer 6

Process of systematic stereotype and discrimination against people because they’re old

1 in 3 admit they treated someone differently because of their age

63% of seniors say they’ve been treated different

Question 7

Gerontology

Answer 7

Study of aging processes and aging individuals, as well as the practices and polices that are designed to assist older adults

Question 8

Social gerontology

Answer 8

Subset of gerontology that employs the social sciences to study the social processes, issues, practices, and policies associated with aging and older people

Question 9

Geriatrics

Answer 9

Sub-specialty of medicine focuses on physical and mental diseases of later life and the clinical treatment and and care of elderly patients

Question 10

Agency

Answer 10

Process in where individuals construct their life course and taking actions

Through agency we create identities, develop personal meaning and expectations, and decide significant social groups

Question 11

Social Structures

Answer 11

Provide the social context or conditions under which people act and form relationships

Question 12

Population aging and causes

Answer 12

The extent to which a populations age structure is distributed in the older ages

Mortality rate decrease
Fertility rate decrease

Question 13

Chronological Aging

Answer 13

Passage of calendar time from one birthday to the next

Defines legal age

Question 14

Biological Age

Answer 14

Changes in cellular, muscular/skeletal, neural, cardiovascular, sensory systems

Influences the number of years a person is likely to survive and the extent to which he or she is likely to experience illness or disability

Question 15

Psychological Aging

Answer 15

Changes in learning ability, memory, creativity

Interaction of cognitive and behavioural changes with social and environmental factors

Influenced by cultural differences

Question 16

Social Aging

Answer 16

Changes in social roles and relationships

Behaviour and status are influences by rights and responsibilities assigned on the basis of age or age group and the attitudes toward them defined by society

Ex. older adults are expected to move out of their work roles

Question 17

Subjective Age

Answer 17

How people feel in comparison with their chronological age

80% of people feel younger than their actual age

Question 18

Medicalization of Aging

Answer 18

The view that aging is an illness of disease that can be declared, revered or cured through biomedical science

Question 19

The life course perspective

Answer 19

Dominant approach

Used to explain:
- Individual changes taking place over time
- Age related life transitions
- Interaction of social life, history, culture and personal biography

Transitions and Trajectory

Question 20

5 Principles of the Life Course Perspective

Answer 20

1. Human development and aging are lifelong processes
2. Individuals make choices within opportunities and constraints of history and social circumstances
3. Individuals are embedded in historical time and place
4. Timing of events matter
5. Lives are linked interdependently

Question 21

3 levels of Soc

Answer 21

Micro - individuals

Mezo - Groups (organizations, families)

Macro - Social structure/institution

Question 22

Successful Aging

Answer 22

Biomedical approach to understanding social and psychological adaptation processes in later life

Defined as high physical, psychological, and social functioning in old age without major disease

Question 23

Demography

Answer 23

Study why and how populations change over time and become smaller, larger, or older due to interrelationships among fertility, mortality, and migration patterns

Question 24

Global demographic transitions

Answer 24

4 stages:
Population explosion
population implosion
Population displosion
Technoplosion

Question 25

Population explosion

Answer 25

The drop in fertility is slower than the drop in mortality so the population grows rapidly

Mortality rates start to drop because of improvement in sanitation and people have a better likelihood but people don’t stop having kids

1800-2000 the worlds population increased form 1 billion to 6 billion

Question 26

Population implosion

Answer 26

The population becomes concentrated in relatively small areas

Population in most countries concentrate population into smaller areas that become urbanized

Question 27

Population displosion

Answer 27

The urban areas become more racially and ethnically divers

Question 28

Technoplosion

Answer 28

Rapid development in technology (healthcare)

Question 29

Intergenerational Transfers

Answer 29

Transfer of money, property, formal services, or in-kind donations (child or parent care, housework)

Private transfers - within families

Public transfers - between the state and individual/family