CHAPTER 14

Inequalities of Youth and Age

Chapter Outline

Sources of Age Stratification Age Stratification and Inequality Theories of Aging Death and Dying

Sources of Age Stratification

In many societies age determines the opportunities open to a person.

All societies channel people into age grades, or sets of statuses and roles based on age.

The transitions among these age grades create a life course and are often marked by ceremonies known as rites of passage.

Age Cohorts

Age cohort - people of about the same age who are passing through life’s stages together.

The “baby boom” cohorts, produced from about 1945 through the early 1960s, have profoundly influenced American society.

A sizable proportion of the children of the baby boom generation, the “echo baby boom,” are members of minority groups.

Population of Less Developed and More Developed Nations

U.S. Population, by Age and Sex

U.S. Population, by Age and Sex

Composition of Millennial Generation and Adults over Age 30

Percentage of Population Age 65 or Older

Life Expectancy

Life expectancy - the average number of years a member of a given population can expect to live beyond his or her present age.

As life expectancy in a population increases, the proportion of the population that is dependent on the adult cohorts increases.

Age And Dependency

People between the ages of 18 and 64 contribute disproportionately to the well-being of the young and the elderly.

Institutions such as public education and Social Security ensure that a share of wealth passes to the dependent cohorts.

When there are large numbers of children in a society, or increasing numbers of elderly people, working adults shoulder an increased burden.

Ratio of U.S. Workers to Social Security Beneficiaries

Social Movements and the Elderly

Social movements among the elderly are increasing in strength as the older population grows in numbers.

Older Americans have taken an active interest in recent efforts to reform the nation’s health care system.

Age Stratification and Inequality

There are distinct patterns of stratification in which age defines the roles one plays and the rewards one can expect.

Inequalities of age are compounded by those of race and gender to produce particular forms of inequality among the aged in industrial societies.

Elderly and Children

Given the opportunity, elderly men and women can have a profound influence on the lives of children in their families and neighborhoods.

The Challenge of Youth

Today teenagers and young adults spend far more time in school preparing for a more demanding labor market.

Adolescence often lasts well into the young-adult years.

During those years young people have increased freedom to try different identities and associate with different kinds of peer groups.

Youth

Although he lost his skateboard in this jump, this young athlete went on to win in his event class.

Skateboarding is part of a youth subculture that attracts young boys and may lead to their participation in extreme forms of the sport as they develop their skills.

Indicators of Child Well-Being

1990 2000

Percent low birth weight babies 7.0% 7.6%

Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births)

9.26.9

Child death rate (per 100,000 children ages 1–14)

31 22

Teen death rate by accident, homicide, suicide (per 100,000 teens ages 15–19)

71 51

Indicators of Child Well-Being

1990 2000

Teen birth rate (births per 1,000 females ages 15–17)

37% 27%

% of teens who are high school dropouts (ages 16–19)

10 9

% of teens not attending school and not working (ages 16–19)

10 8

% of children in poverty (data reflect poverty the previous year)

20 17

Childhood

Social definitions of childhood differ between modern and traditional societies.

Increasing incomes and the passage of child labor laws made children economically “worthless” and emotionally “priceless.”

There is a growing gap between “priceless” children and children who bear a heavy burden of poverty.

Intended and Unintended Pregnancies and Abortions among Teenagers in Selected Western Nations

Age and Inequality

A century ago, the largest segment of the U.S. population living in poverty or near-poverty conditions was the elderly.

As a result of programs such as Social Security and Medicare, rates of poverty among the elderly have decreased dramatically.

The situation is not nearly so positive for elderly members of minority groups.

% of Children in Poverty, by Race and Hispanic Origin: 2004

Robert Frost

Robert Frost, shown here in his advanced years, was far more than a poet of rural America.

He promoted the idea that people need to remain passionate participants in the world around them throughout their lives.

Theories of Aging

Disengagement Theory As people grow older, they gradually “disengage”

from their earlier roles. Activity theory

The elderly need activities that will serve as outlets for their creativity and energy.

Today gerontologists see people demanding opportunities to lead their lives based on individual habits and preferences.

Comparison of Total APSReports (All Ages)

Death and Dying

The growing proportion of elderly people in the population has led to increased concern about the death and dying process.

The hospice movement attempts to provide dying people and their loved ones with an alternative to hospital death.

Number of Patients inU.S. Hospices, 1985–2001

QUICK QUIZ

1. A "population pyramid" provides a graphic depiction of the

a. age distribution of a population by sex.

b. dynamic nature of population change over time.

c. relationship between population and resources.

d. correlation between fertility rates and death rates.

Answer: a

A "population pyramid" provides a graphic depiction of the age distribution of a population by sex.

2. Which is true about children today?a. Children in our society continue to work long

hours for little pay.b. There is no universally accepted definition about

how children should be treated.c. Children in our society are largely viewed as

valuable according to the economic payoff that parents anticipate from them.

d. Children have it far easier than earlier generations because the pathways to success are so uncluttered by economic difficulties.

Answer: b

The following statement is true about children today: There is no universally accepted definition

about how children should be treated.

3. Which is false concerning conceptions of childhood?

a. "Adolescence" as an age stratum was largely created with industrialism.

b. Children in modern societies are no longer treated as "little adults."

c. Children within the U.S. are not held by the law in most respects to the same standards of behavior as are adults.

d. Everywhere in the world it is expected that children are largely relieved from the task of making a living for themselves and others.

Answer: d

The following is false concerning conceptions of childhood: Everywhere in the world it is expected that

children are largely relieved from the task of making a living for themselves and others.

4. Which statement is false concerning hospices or the hospice movement?

a. Dissatisfaction with "hospital death" has given rise to a growing hospice movement.

b. Hospice can be administered either in clinical settings or in the homes of the terminally ill.

c. One key downside to hospices is their far greater patient costs when compared to conventional hospitals.

d. It attempts to enhance the comfort of dying patients through medication, while not trying to postpone the inevitable.

Answer: c

The following is false concerning hospices or the hospice movement: One key downside to hospices is their far

greater patient costs when compared to conventional hospitals.