Module 2

Question 1

life course transitions and trajectories

Answer 1

• Transtions are key points in the life course when changes in social roles occur
  
  • Countertrnasitons: are changes that are caused when another persons role changes
  • Series of transtions is called a trajectory
  • In the past life course trajectories were viewed as predictable and linear, but we have increasing numbers of pathways that we take
  • Empty nest refers to the 20+ year period where couples live alone but are not nessecarily old

Question 2

life course events

Answer 2

Timing: age norms are informal rules about age appropriate behaviours and roles
Duration: duration is number of years in a life course phase
Sequence: life course events are usually made in a particular order

Question 3

cumulative impacts over the life course

Answer 3

• Early life expereinces reverberate across the life course
  
  • Theory of cumulative disadvantage: proposes that disadvantages of an individual or group are magnified over time, therefore inequalities are expected to increase with age
    People with advantages early in life are more likely to have better outcomes later in life
    Inequality is seen as the result of insitiutional strctures indidivuals actions and opportunites

Question 4

life course research

Answer 4

• Age effect: change occuring as a result of advancing age
  
  • Period effect: impact of historical event on whole society
  • Cohort effect: social change that occurs as one cohort replaces another

Question 5

theories

Answer 5

• Micro: focus on the indidivual or a small group of people
  
  • Meso: focus on connections between micro and macro level structures
    Macro: focus on the broader social systems

Question 6

micro theories

Answer 6

• Disnegagement theory
  ○ A mutual disengament of the indidivual and society occurs in old age so death will be less disruptive to the social system
  
  • Activity theory
    ○ Older adults attmept to maintain their activities or find substiutes for them in later life
  • Continuity theory
    ○ Older adults attempt to maintain continuity (internal and external) in their lives

Question 7

meso theories

Answer 7

• Subculture theory
  ○ Subcultures develop among people who have similar interests/expereinces or have been excluded from full particpation in the broader society
  
  • Exchange theory
    ○ Social relashonships are most satisfying when both parties feel they contirbute equally to the relashonship
  • Social contructionsism
    Humans are active agents who create their own reality

Question 8

macro theories

Answer 8

• Modernization theory
  ○ Proposes that nations can be placed on a continum based on their level of modernization, and modernization results in a loss of status and roles for the elderly
  ○ Factors that contribute to a loss of status
  § Advances in health tehcnology
  § Modern econmic technology
  § Urbnaiation
  § Mass education
  
  • Age stractification theory
    ○ Prposes that society groups people into social categories that provide them with social idjeifities
    ○ Age cohorts are a key unit for exmaining differences between groups of people
    ○ Has been critiqued for ignoring those factors that influence stratifcation and create inequality within age cohorts
  • Age integration theory
    ○ Proposed that age atratifcation can create age segregated and age intergrated instutions
    Strcurual lag can occur when out dated policies and age segregated insitutions prevents certain age groups from particpating fully in society

Question 9

political economy theories

Answer 9

Highlight the role of stucrutral insttions and power relashonships in understanding how older adults are treated in society
Ignores agency of indiivuals

Question 10

feminist theories

Answer 10

○ An approach which focuses on the gendered nature of society

Question 11

critical gerontology

Answer 11

Research on aging has been based on uncritical analysis and the use of theories and images