The elderly are a disadvantaged group in most societies.’ Explain and assess this view. [25] Flashcards
old age
introduction
the term old may have different meanings in different societies. for example in a western society determines whether or not a person is old by using the retirement age whereby people are expected to work and are entitled to state pension. However sociologists may argue that it is no natural age retirement even using a strict chronoligical divider can have avrious interpretations. for example the retirement age in brunei is 60 but it is only recently that the retirement age in brunei has increased from 60 to 55. thus this shows how teh idea of old age is ever changing from one society to the next and from one time to another. therefore, old age,, much like childhood is a scoial construction.
the status of elderly in pre -industrial society
the elderly are often socially constructed as the most important members of the society. a few number of factors can help explain the high status of elderly. in many traditional societies, rank was determined by age and gender. power was often exercised by the male elders. in such societies, older people are often respected for their knowledge and wisdom.the belief system of traditional societies are often based on ancestor worship. old age may be interpreted as a sign that elders are approaching the world of spirits, an individual’s status may increase as they approach to death. anthropologist Lucy Mair points out that age sets were very important fro stratifying pre-industrial groups. the leaders had to be respected and could not be challenged or criticized by those who are younger. this was a very important mechanism in reducing conflict in society.
the status of elderly in industrial societies; economic system no longer productive 19th century arber and ginn
it was the economic change that led to the decline in the status of the elderly in industrial society. industrialisation led to a system of wage and labor and later the concept of retirement from paid employment. the idea tha individuals above a cetain age where no longer productive was an invention of the late 19th century. arber and ginn pointed that in 1892, over 67% of british men over the age 65 were economically active. by 1992, only 7% of men only were economically active.
marxist chris phillipson (1982)
Phillipson suggests that the ekderly are often defined in capitalist society as poeple whose usefulness has passed. they are ex-workers, retired from making a financial contribution to the society. they are seen as a drain on the financial resources of the state
ethel shannas (1968)
Shannas argues that the elderly have been excluded from the labor market and other significant social roles. the elderly are socially constructed as a burden to the society. instead of contributing to the society, the consume expensive medical services and pensions that are paid for by the working population. Shannas suggests that ageing is a process of deprivation leading to structured dependency. the elderly are deprived of their independence and requires to be looked after by other sections of the society.
one important consequence of these economic changes has been ageism. ageism refers to the attitudes and behavior that discriminates against older member of the society. ageism is powerful and harmful as sexism and racism. for example; someone would assume that a slow driver is an elderly.
Criticism
old age in post modern societies
Giddens
postmodernist argued that as a society our attitude to the ledery us under considerable re assessment in recent years. Giddens points out that the social meaning of old age is going through a process of transformation. in the postmodern era, increasing numbers of elderly people are seeking to redefine themselves, their families and the society. the position of the elderly within the society is changing ; the ageing process is no longer seen as fixed but it is subject to the individual and social interpretation.
Blaikie (ageing and popular culture, 1999)
to the postmodernist, old age is a key stage in the life but it is not a fixed of stable identity.
the elderly are beginning to develop an economic role of consumption; there are more hings associated with old age for the elderly to buy. there is also an increasing recognition that the elderly could do things we never thought possible. for example, exercise, wear fashionable clothes. there is the development of medical industries whereby they allow to redefine their physical appearances to make them look younger. for example hormone replacement therapy and plastic surgery.
our notions of old age are thus undergoing great change
young schuller (life after work: the arrival of the ageless society)
Schuller suggests that the idea that we can use retirement to separate people into groups that are economically useful and an economical burden are no longer valid. people may choose to retire early while others continue to be economically active beyond conventional retirement ages.
conclusion
arber and ginn
feminisation of old age
it is important to recognize that elderly are not homogeneous group. variables such as social class, ethnicity and gender have an important effect on the social construction of the elderly in modern industrial societies. for example, Arber and Ginn have used the term the feminization of old age. they recognize that women does not have longer life expediencies and there is a stead increase in women living alone. the gender difference of life expectancy is greater among the working class than the middle class as the elderly women from WC origins are especially vulnerable to poverty.
scase and scales (fit and fifty,2000)
although an ageing population may present increasing opportunities to some social groups, it may also lead to a =n increase in social inequality. scase and scales argue that in Britain’s over 50s will be increasing split between affluent retirees who are looking for new challenged and a better quality life and lower paid men and women some of whom have to continue working beyond retirement age because of financial necessities.
