Outline and Assess Explanations of age inequality

Question 1

Marxist (elderly)

Answer 1

The inadequate state pensions leads some elderly people being dependent on benefits.

Question 2

Marxist (young)

Answer 2

Young people without skills and retired people form a reserve army of labor. Both groups have little power and it is easy to hire and fire them.

Question 3

McDonald and Marsh (05)

Answer 3

Marxist - Young people in deprived areas lacked power and status.

Question 4

Marx Eval

Answer 4

The reserve army of labor doesn’t explain age inequality. It can apply to social groups from any age. There is a growing number of elderly with disposable income who have ‘consumer power’ (Grey Pounds).

Question 5

Functionalist

Answer 5

Old age causes a steady realization of the loss of personal functional value to society. They therefore willingly retire and move to the peripherals of society to allow the more functional and able to work to take their places.

Question 6

Parsons (54)

Answer 6

Functionalist - Young people feel insecure as they struggle to fill functional social roles. Old age is a time of isolation and loneliness - receiving pensions is a sign of dependency and shows a drop in status.

Question 7

Functionalist Eval

Answer 7

Functionalist age stratification’s argue that they assume homogeneity of experience, where as in reality age is characterized by diversity and experience.

Question 8

Weberianism

Answer 8

Weberianism is more concerned with the loss of status and power that an individual experiences at different points of their life and would argue that Marxist analysis is too reductionist and that age inequality goes beyond just economic factors.

Question 9

McKingsley (01)

Answer 9

Weberian - Old age can be seen as a loss of status via retirement - age is too much of a cultural factor as it is economic.

Question 10

Parkin (68)

Answer 10

Weberian - Concept of ‘negatively privileged status groups’ can be applied to those in old age who have lost their position in the labor market and are considered either ‘too old to employ’ or are being side-lined for young, more mobile employees.

Question 11

Weberian Eval

Answer 11

An 87 year old may also have the same social status as that of 37 old, however the 37 year old holds more power due to working/having a full time job etc. and they would hold more power due to the work they can give and offer back to society. Postmodernism - increased life expectancy coupled with a planned retirement has given old people an ability to consume as never before. Increasing importance of consumerism as an influence upon identity has led certain old people to develop lifestyles that are visible.

Question 12

Featherstone & Hepworth (90)

Answer 12

Postmodern - Individual choice and a destructuring of society has made age an increasingly fragmented and diverse social category.People such as Mick Jagger and Helen Mirren are examples of old people who don’t adhere to typical expectations of how old people should look.

Question 13

Laczo and Philipson (91)

Answer 13

Old people are leaving the workplace. In 1965 905 of men aged 60-65 were working, in 1990 60% of men aged 60-65 were working. Being outside the workplace allows older people to become stronger consumers.

Question 14

Postmodern Eval

Answer 14

To argue that age is too heterogeneous falls into the trap of ignoring crucial social divisions. Evidence shows that older people, particularly women, do appear to be amongst the groups most likely to experience poverty. Lifestyle choices such as choosing to have plastic surgery are unavailable to those with low incomes.