CHAPTER 5

AGING AND INEQUALITY

The Life Course

• Life Course: socially constructed stages that people pass through as they live out their lives: – Childhood– Adolescence– Adulthood

Growing Old

• Gerontology: a branch of social sciences dealing with aging and the elderly

• Growing old involves biological changes; how a culture defines this stage of life makes a difference in the reality of old age– In preindustrial societies, elders

comprise a social elite (i.e., gerontocracy)

– In industrial societies, the elderly are viewed as a social problem

– Societies differ in their definitions of “old age”

The Graying of the United States

• The elderly population is increasing faster than the population as a whole

• Researchers report three levels of “old” – younger old: 65-74 years of age– older old: 75-84 years of age– oldest old: 85 and older

• Seniors are a socially diverse population in terms of economics, race, ethnicity, and gender

Problems of Aging

• Social isolation becomes a problem as people enter retirement:– closes off an important source of

contact with others– the death of people close to them is

another source of isolation• Retirement poses problems as one

leaves paid work behind

Ageism

• Ageism: prejudice and discrimination directed against the elderly– involves both age-based prejudice and

age-based discrimination– often combines with other forms of

prejudice, placing older women (and older people of color) at a special disadvantage

Elder Abuse

• Elder abuse often goes undetected because victims are fearful or ashamed to tell others

• People who abuse family members often have problems of their own

Poverty

• 10 percent of people in the US over the age of 65 live below the official poverty line

• Age Stratification: social inequality among various age categories within a society

• Combined Stratification: intersection of race, ethnicity, and gender

Housing

• Homes of the elderly are often older than average for a community– many elders homes need repairs,

insulation, and updated heating and air conditioning systems

• The best housing options are available only to affluent elders

• The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) operates the largest program to assist lower-income seniors with housing

Medical Care

• Since 1965, Medicare has provided benefits that pay for hospital care and 80 % of other medical care costs for persons 65 years of age and over

• To cover other medical costs, 3 out of 4 elders purchase private health insurance

• On the average, the elderly spend 20% of their income on health care

Death and Dying

• Culture guides how people view death and dying

• Technological advances in modern societies have removed death and dying from everyday life

• Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide have sparked the “right to die” debate that exists in the U.S. today – As the elder population rapidly

increases, the “right to die” debate is certain to continue

Structural-Functional Analysis: The Need to

Disengage• Disengagement theory contends that

modern societies operate more smoothly by disengaging people from positions of responsibility as they enter old age

• Proponents say that disengagement is vital to society as a whole and provides older people with the prospect of rest, relaxation, and travel after years of hard work

• Critics believe that disengagement of the elderly carries personal costs, including loss of status and income as well as social isolation

Symbolic-Interaction Analysis: Staying Active

• Activity theory accepts the basic idea of disengagement but adds that people try to replace old roles with new ones

• A shortcoming of activity theory is that it overlooks the fact that at least some old people are not physically able to maintain a busy schedule

Social-Conflict Analysis: Age and Inequality

• Highlights age stratification, pointing out ways that society limits older people’s opportunities and resources

• Modern societies define elderly people in negative terms, causing both prejudice and discrimination

Social-Conflict Analysis: Age and Inequality

• Conflict theorists contend that capitalist societies turn old people into second-class citizens as a means of increasing profit

• Critics say that age is only one dimension of social stratification; one also needs to recognize the effects on the elderly of class, race, and gender

Politics and Aging

• Conservatives: More family responsibility– Believe that today’s society suffers

from weaker family ties– Emphasize the importance of self-

reliance, arguing that people should take responsibility for their own old age by planning and saving throughout their lives

Politics and Aging

• Liberals: More Government Assistance– Older people have faced racial and

gender discrimination– Many families rely on dual incomes

and can’t afford to care for their elders

– Few older people want to depend on their children

Politics and Aging

• Radicals: Capitalism and the Elderly– The culture of capitalism devalues people

that are economically less productive– elderly people are a burden to the

capitalist economy because they don’t work

– the solution to ageism is to replace the capitalist economy with a socialist economy