Textbook Chapter 2 Questions Flashcards
Why do gerontologists use more than one theory in their work?
Theories in general, create a framework for explaining why things happen the way that they do. Working with multiple theories allows for multiple different considerations of a single hypothesis. It offers different perspective.
What challenges do researchers face when they try to do interdisciplinary work?
The lack of structure and possible conflicting interests is the reason why researchers face challenges, as you are working together with other non-related departments on the same work
Why is it easier to do multidisciplinary rather than interdisciplinary work?
You gain a more hollistic view of the subject, rather then just looking at the individual sections of the topic.
Why is theory important in the study of aging
Theory provides an interpretation of the facts, however no single theory in gerontology can explain about aging.
Explain the difference between mirco-level and macro-level theories
Mirco-level theories focus on individuals and their interactions.
Macro-level theories explain phenomena such as the effects of industrialization on older people’s social status, etc.
What is the difference between a transition and a trajectory?
Transitions refer to changes in social status or social roles (when those changes occur, how long they last, etc)
Trajectories refer to long-term patterns of stability and change. They often include many transitions.
Explain why the age stratification theory is a functionalist theory?
As functionalist theory holds that social order is based on consensus, cooperation, and shared norms, age stratification theory focuses on lifespan development can be understood as the process of human lives being shaped by the social institutions.
Explain how the life course perspective extends the insights of the age stratification theory?
The life course works off the age stratification theory because this theory incorporates the social interaction and social structure within its framework. It pushes the act of social interaction
What contribution does the life course perspective make to the study of aging?
The contribution it makes to the study of aging involves the importance of experiences that compound over time and lead to the outcome we call old age. This applies to physical changes.
What is an age cohort? Can you identify events or conditions that your influence your cohort as you age?
An age cohort is a group of people born in the same period of time.
What life events can lead to psychological problems in later life?
Non-normative events
What life events can lead to life satisfaction?
Normative age-graded events
How does gender influence a person throughout the life course?
Both genders have different stereotypical expectations of our normative age-graded events. This influences us
What effects do gender roles have on women and men in later life?
Gender roles have individuals trying to fit into the expectations that stereotypical gender roles for senior people has dictated.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of taking the conflict perspective?
Researchers use this theory to show that researchers are able to understand that social and structural inequality affects aging. This perspective doesn’t cover everything, which everything has its disadvantages.
Explain the concept of “cumulative advantage and disadvantages.” How does this help explain poverty among women in later life?
This theory states that if a women in her younger years are already in poverty, then this poverty will only tend to accumulate over time into something worse. Leading to older women being in poverty.
List two contributions that the feminist approach has made to the study of aging?
It has recognized the importance of social structures, social interaction, and individual characteristics. It has also presents a more inclusive picture of aging and older adults bu focusing on the majority of the older population.
Why is the feminist appraoch considered a type of conflict theory
This is becuase the feminist approach focuses on bridges the micro and macro levels of theory. It critizes other theories of aging and aging research for not focusing enough on gender relations or on women’s experience.
Explain the difference between age,period, and cohort effects
Age effects occur due to physical decline. These changes appear with the passage of time. Period or environment effects occur due to the time of measurement. Cohort effects relate to the time of a person’s birth
How do cross-sectional and longitudinal studies differ in their design?
Cross-sectional research design studies people from many age groups at one point in time. Longitudinal research designs attempts to look at a single group of people at two or more points in time.
Why are methods to disentangle these effects often only partly successful?
Attempts to neutralize variables take a great deal of time and effort.
What is interpretive perspective?
How do individuals - define, create and interpret their social world? “Social constructivism”
What is the functionalist perspective?
What is the structure of the society and how do the parts of this structure function? “Positivism”
What is conflict perspective?
Society consists of conflicts between dominant and subordinate groups “Critical theory”
What is disengagement theory - Cumming and Henry (1961)
Society gives permission for older people to disengage from active role participation
Disengagement of the older members of society is necessary for the survivial of the social system
This theory is no longer population and used
What is activity theory (1968)
Normal and good old age involves maintaining the level of activities
What is age stratification theory? (1972)
Focuses on the movments of age cohorts over the life course
An individuals location in an age grades determines social roles forms attitudes and norms and values - generation gap
What is structural lag
The gap between abilities of seniors and social structures and norms which utilize them
What is the lesson from age-stratification theory - gold standard theory
The lives of those who are growing old today cannot be the same as the lives of those who grew old in the past or of thsoe who will grow old in the future
What is the life course perspective?
Focus on life events that constitude life course of individuals as well as population subgroup
How events and conditions early in life can effect individuasl later life
How social change and historical events can create differences between cohorts
What are the three types of life events
Non-normative events, history-graded events, and normative age-graded events
Continuity theory
Despite physical and social changes, people make an effort to perserves ties with the past by adapting new situations.
Internal continuity
Coherence of personality
External continuity
Constancy of environment and people
What is selective, optimatization, with compensation theory
Successful aging is a process of coordinating and balancing the gains and losses to master daily life
People can compensate for or control losses of capacity by selecting priorities and optimizing their strengths
What does the evolution of theories tell us?
There is no single theory to explain all aspects of aging - aging process is complex
Theories evolve as a society evolves
Focus shifted towards cumulative advantages and disadvantages of aging
Focus shifted more towards interrelationships between the social environment and the individual
Theories in interpreative and critical perspectives are becoming more widely used (i.e more qualitative and mixed methods research
What are the 3 typical research issues in gerontology?
- Age effects - due to physical decline
- Cohort effects - due to time of a person’s birth
- Period/environmental effects - due to time of the research
What is a strength in longitudinal research designs?
Researcher can learn about age effects
What is a limitiations in longitudinal research designs
- Age effects can still confound environmental/period effects
- Loss of study subjects
- Expensive
What is a strength of a time lag comparison design?
Can measure differences between cohorts
What are the limitations in a time-lag comparison
- It confounds cohort effects with environmental/period effects
- Take many years to complete
What are the strengths of a sequential design?
- Provides both cross-sectional and longitudinal data
- Quick data collection
- Check on cross-sectional findings over time
- Provides time-lag data on the same-aged groups at different times (to see changes over time) - can control the influence of period effects.
