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Explanations of Age Inequalities (functionalism (Pilcher (transition from…
Explanations of Age Inequalities
gerontology
study of ageing
biological, psychological and sociological factors associated with old age and the ageing process
functionalism
age as an aspect o culture or how it contributes to the maintenance of social order
see inequality as functional / beneficial to society
Parsons
since industrialisation, people have been more socially and geographically mobile and age groups have become more important
age groups provide role sets that create a link between the kinship group and wider society
Pilcher
transition from childhood to adulthood
age is a mechnism of social integration
allows people to move from one social institution to another without much social disturbance or conlict
Cummings and Henry
the way society treats the old has positive benefits for society
ageing process and social reaction to it is a part of a mutual process in which the elderly, are encouraged to socially disengage from their occupational roles
social disengagement = allows younger members of society to take the place of the old in the specialised division of labour with minimum disruption to both social order and economic efficiency
CRITICISMS
social order may be undermined by youth unemployment, low pay, education costs etc = lead to dependence on family
critics of disengagement theory shows that retirement rom work is often not vuluntary - also has negative consequences on self esteem and social status
disengagement theory could lead elderly to neglect their skills and experiences = this could have been beneficial for society
marxism
young people provide a cheap pool of flexible labour - a reserve army of labour - hired and fired as necessary
Phillipson
capitalism = exploiting workers and consumers for profit = incompatible with the needs of the elderly
elderly are neglected by the capitalist system because they no longer have the disposable income or spending power whcih is so attractive to capitalists
elderly have historically been used as reserve army of labour - this has grown in recent years as the retail sector has expanded and taken on elderly labour
privileged sector of the elderly has the economic power to consume services, such as private healthcare = beneficial with capitalism = increase power and status due to their spending power
CRITICISMS
accused of economic determinism = theory that all society is based on economic and political factors
neglect factors such as gender, ethnicity, religion, disability
experiences of elderly is not homogenous - asian elderly are greatly respected and valued by youth
feminism
older women face inequalities created by patriarchy that older men do not face
older women are often doubly devalued by society because their status is devalued after menopause as well as after retirement age
women face great patriarchal pressure to resist the physical signs of ageing and to invest in cosmeticisation - to spend money on beauty products == men are less likely to experience these pressures
CRITICISMS
they tend to overstate the influence of patriarchy and may neglect alternative reasons such as poverty
assumes that the experience of girls and women is universally the same - wealth and social class can help mitigate the effects of patriarchy
men may feel pressure to cosmeticise = therefore it is a commercial profit driven process rather than from patriarchy
social action studies suggest women choose to cosmetice rather than being forced by the stigma of old age
Weberian theory
age is an important source of status
ageism = reflection of lack of status experienced by both groups and their poor market position
Parkin
some social groups such as ethnic minorities suffer negatively privileged status groups
racism and ageism as functioning to socially segregate low status groups such as ethnic minorities and elderly from society
Turner
both elderly and the young have low status because they lack material resources required to attract status and consequently are dependent upon others
social action theory
regular social interaction is essential to staying mentally and physically active
retirement = elderly forced to disengage from interaction
Victor
public attitudes towards elderly may result in a self full filling prophecy - act in an elderly role - dressing and acting younger would attract social derision == chose to act accordingly to how society viewed them
negative stereotyping or labelling about old age can also impact on the way people react to ageing themselves - view as useless or unable to learn
labelling = self fullfilling prophecy = youth deviance amplification = internalise labels
postmodernism
old age as positive time in life = retirement allows people greater freedom and challenges
Blaikie
chronological age, ageism and age determined inequality are less likely to shape peoples lie experience in the 21st century
UK has undergone a social transformation from social experiences based on collective identities and originating in social class and generation to an increasingly individualised and consumerist culture = old age can be avoided by investing in a diverse choice of youth-perceiving techniques
new technology and cosmetic surgery allows some older people to continually re-invent themselves
Polemus
21st century youth is not an homogeneous group - global supermarket o style and construct their identity from a range of sources
globalisation brining out social change = Britain has become multicultural = experience of being a child or elderly has become less predictable due to changing cultural norms and values