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functionalist explanations for age inequality - Coggle Diagram
functionalist explanations
for age inequality
Cummings and Henry
allows for elderly to reflect/come to terms with death
allows transition for new people to replace, ensuring other people who are trained and able to preform roles being left behind
need for individual and wider society to withdraw from responsibilities, social life and activity
argue aging is a natural and biological process which deteriorates skills and health
social disengagement theory
Parsons
childhood - period where socialisation needs to take place, without it, children wouldn't know their roles and be unable to contribute to society
adolescence - develop independence and self-identity to be able to leave home, often in forms of rebellion to assert themselves, conflict between age groups
argued society has to treat the different age groups differently because of their different roles
adulthood - contribute, raise a family, devotion to workforce
argued all age groups preform a set of social functions
old age - living in isolation so their children spend time with their family to raise the next generation
Eisenstadt
useful for positive social functions each age group can preform in society, attempts to explain the broad culture of rebellion among youth
argued can often be expressed in subcultures that rebel and pushes norms and values to the limit (e.g., punks)
helps socialise youth through informal/formal social control
argues youths naturally rebel in order to test boundaries of norms and values