Theoretical Perspectives of Aging Flashcards
Theoretical Approach
“Theoretical perspectives are ways of naming, ways of conceptually ordering our senses of the world. They are tools with which we decide what it is that we experience, why something is the way it is, and how it is that we might act or react to it.”
Theories help us to…
“see” (and “not to see”) different aspects of aging
Consider analytical questions (dimensions) for assessing theories & what they help us to see (or not see).
Does a theoretical perspective:
- take a macro or micro approach?
- take a normative or interpretive perspective?
- view older people as a homogeneous or heterogeneous group?
- treat the individual as passive or active?
- treat the individual or society as the source of change (agency)?
Micro
- Adjustment of aging individual to society
- Personal changes associated with aging (e.g., retirement, physical activity)
- How is old age anticipated, experienced, planned for?
- Perceived quality of life
- Social support networks
Macro
- Population ageing
- Impact on service infrastructure
- changes in service needs
- costs (e.g., health care)
Political and moral Q’s
- How to deal with ageing population?
- What does society define as an acceptable quality of life in old age? (social norm)
- What responsibilities do we accept regarding elderly?
- What are social expectations of old age?
Age is a structured social relation…
- way that our social relations are organized based on age
- characterized by power differences
- age groups experience different advantages & disadvantages in access to opportunities & constraints
Other structured social relations include…
gender, social class, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation
Meso
Social institutions = particular spheres of social life, e.g., family, work, education, leisure
Normative
- Established rules and status expectation
- Social control, order
- Individuals learn roles through socialization
- Rules followed by most
- Little control over social world
- Individuals adjust to fit to society
- Top-down orientation (deterministic)
Interpretive
- Individuals are social actors (exercising agency)
- Individuals define, interpret, norms and institutional rules
- Individuals can act (not just react) and can make changes
- Bottom-up orientation (social changes)
Passive
(follows rules, norms) -> normative view
Active
(acts on own behalf, with agency)?-> interpretive view
Homogeneous
all old people are alike
Heterogeneous
Old differentiated by other structured social relations (gender, social class, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, ability) & by experience, circumstances.
Individual as a source of change
necessary adjustments (within existing social arrangements) = individual
Society as a source of change
fundamental change (of existing social arrangements) = societal
Individual and Society as sources of change
- William Ryan: blaming the victim
- C. Wright Mills: public issues vs. private troubles
- Transfer of public responsibility to families
- Need both public & private
Activity Theory
As people age, they start to lose the identity they had in work or in family life. Those who continue to participate in activities and interact socially have a higher quality of life and tend to be healthier and live long, in part because it enhances a sense of self
Activity Theory is related to…
- Activities decline in old ages
- Active social life (new roles, activities) – beneficial
- Related to successful aging
Is activity theory micro, meso or macro?
- Micro-level: focuses on the daily lives of the ageing individuals
Is activity theory normative or interpretative?
- Normative: disengagement in old age as expected
Is activity theory passive or active?
- Passive: individuals are to adjust and gain new roles
Is activity theory homogeneous or heterogeneous?
- Homogeneous: same prescription for all ?
Is the source of change individual or society?
- individual
Disengagement Theory
- Older individuals withdraw from social life
- let go of social roles & activities
- Society benefits (e.g., younger labour force)
Disengagement Theory on the micro level
- Individual should disengage (better well-being)
Disengagement Theory on the macro level
- Disengagement of old-> functional to society
Disengagement Theory on the meso level
- Retirement as an institution
Is disengagement theory normative or interpretative?
- Normative: disengagement in old age as expected
Is disengagement theory passive or active?
- Passive: individuals are to adjust by disengaging
Is disengagement theory homogeneous or heterogeneous?
- Homogeneous: same prescription for all ?
In disengagement theory is the source of change the individual or society?
- Individual
Problems in disengagement theory
- neglecting some women’s experiences
Age Stratification Theory
- In society, people are classified into different age groups, and each age group is associated with opportunities and constraints
Age strata differ in…
- access to society’s rewards, power, privileges
- roles and expectations
- age-based social inequality
Age Stratification Theory
- Age-related norms are tied with individuals’ life course
Normative Life Stages include…
- Young: schooling
- Middle aged: work and family responsibilities
- Old: retirement and leisure
Role allocation
role (re-) assignment comes along with ageing
Socialization
(life-time learning process)
- smooth transition from one age stratum to the next
Age Stratification Theory from a macro perspective…
- stratification
Is age stratification theory normative or interpretative?
- Normative: focuses on social order and emphasizes learning roles through socialization
Is age stratification theory passive or active?
- individuals are passive
Is disengagement theory homogeneous or heterogeneous?
- homogeneous
In age stratification theory is the source of change the individual or society?
- Focuses on individual adjustment (more recent versions encourage societal change)
Critiques of Age Stratification Theory
- Age barriers/segregation should be removed, so people of all ages interact together
- Age-integrated society: age loses its power to determine when people should enter or leave various social institutions (education, work, retirement)
“Structural Lag”
- A phenomenon in which a society fails to keep up with the changing needs of the growing portion of the elderly population
- Level of needs
- Different types of needs
- Intersection of age, gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation
Why do some older people have relatively low social status and decreased social interaction? (Exchange Theory)
Best exchanges = people with similar resources
With aging, people have limited resources to exchange
Dependency
Withdrawal from interactions
Old’s decreasing power & resources
What is the macro and micro effect of exchange theory?
power relations based on age and individual interaction
Is exchange theory homogeneous or heterogeneous?
Homogeneous but heterogeneity also exists - some have more resources than others
How is ageism related to exchange theory?
Ageism in social interaction (young-old separation)
Is exchange theory active or passive?
Passive individuals
Does exchange theory rely on individual or social change?
Individual adjustment (BUT society should change too)
The Political Economy Perspective
- The experience of old age and the treatment of seniors can only be understood within the context of the economy, the state, the labour market, and the intersecting class, gender, age and racial/ethnic divisions in society
What is the goal of the political economy perspective?
Seeking to uncover structurally-created inequalities in old age (based on the above factors)
what are some other effects determined by the political economy perspective?
- Social norms affect how older individuals are viewed and how they view themselves
- The needs of the economy (productive labour force) and the needs of the old affect the experience of aging
- contradiction in terms of resource allocation for the elderly, e.g., health care
- create a view of population aging as a crisis
Is the political economy perspective involved in the micro, meso or macro level?
- macro and meso
Is the political economy perspective normative or interpretive?
- normative
Is the political economy perspective passive or active?
- passive
Is the political economy perspective homogeneous or heterogeneous?
- Homogeneous (age) until other structured social relations included → heterogeneous
Does the political economy perspective look at the individual or society as a source of change?
- society
Two competing views
- Crisis construction
- Crisis management
- Reconciliation between these two views
- The political economy perspective
The Lifecourse Perspective
“The life course perspective links the experiences of later life to earlier life stages and of old family members to younger ones.”
The four Ts of the Life Course Perspective
- Trajectories - long-term pattern of stability and change
- Transitions - short-term change in one’s status
- Turning points (e.g., marriage, childbirth)
- Time: chronological, social & historical
Is the life course perspective involved in the micro, meso or macro level?
- micro
Is the life course perspective normative or interpretive?
- normative
Is the life course perspective active or passive?
- passive
In the life course perspective who is the source of change?
- society and the individual
Life Stage Principle
- Impact of life transitions on individuals varies by:
- Timing (when does a specific event occur in one’s life)
- Sequencing (the order of life events)
Linked Lives
Connections with others and reciprocal influences of interdependent lives
Critical Gerontology
- Capitalism as problematic
- Improving the quality of elderly’s lives by advocating for changes at the structural level
- Research knowledge used as an instrument for social changes
- Creating changes through research (participatory action research): emancipatory
What do critical gerontologists do?
- Questioning whether community services and infrastructures are meeting the needs of the current elderly
- Highlighting the voices of marginalized older persons
- Advocating for social justice
Feminist Gerontology
- Attention to gender relations within the political economy theory
What is the core question of the feminist gerontology?
How does the gendered division of labour (women’s disproportionate role in unpaid domestic labour across their life course) and other structural inequalities shape the aging experiences of women?
