Sociology

Sociology Study Guide

Different responsibilities and rights are established in each society based on age. For example, in pre- industrial societies, the old were highly valued for their knowledge and wisdom. In industrialized societies, the status of the old is very different. With the boom of technology, the old is not revered for the same reasons; their knowledge and wisdom is not necessary for the survival of the community. Perspectives • Functionalist Perspective: Functionalists attempt to explain the attitude that today’s society has toward the elderly as one that benefits every member, including the old. Rather than having the young, middle aged, and elderly all fighting for the same roles in the labor market, the elderly are generally guided out of employmentwhile the young are simultaneously being trained to take over. • Conflict Perspective: Conflict theorists assert that age categories are social strata and are hierarchically ranked according to power, prestige, and wealth as the competition for social resources heats up. Everyone will belong to each age group, if they live long enough. Conflict theorists argue that due to the surplus of labor in themarket, the middle-aged group has taken over and keeps the young in school (and out of the workplace) and pushes the elderly into retirement (and out of the workplace) so as to secure their own economic and social power. Ageism Ageism is the belief that one age strata is inferior to another and that this difference justifies unequal treatment. Ageism against the elderly is subtle, but it is pervasive. Some of the stereotypical inaccuracies that pervade an ageist’s thoughts are: • The old are not productive, or not as productive as younger people. • Elderly people are largely infirm. • Elderly people are senile. • Elderly people must be confined to nursing homes (mostly because of the above reasons). Social Gerontology Social gerontology is the study of the social aspects of aging. This is a newer area of study simply because people are living longer now than ever before and it studies the various aspects of transitioning to old age. It examines the influence of social forces on the old and the aging process, and it also examines the societal impact of their needs. Aging involves three processes: • Physical aging: The body changes that accompany maturation. • Psychological aging: Personality changes. • Social aging: Transitions between social statuses. Each individual experiences aging differently, and they each place different meanings to the process. Adolescence today is a much different experience than it was several decades ago. This phenomenon is discussed in the sociological concept of a cohort – a category of people born during the same time period. Each cohort views things with some similarity as other cohorts, but completely differently from cohortsof a different generation.

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