Aging-Related Theories and
Demographics
 Goals
 To understand theories that guide our thinking about
aging
 To explore demographics around aging
What are Some Popular Theories
of Aging?
 Disengagement theory
 Activity theory
 Continuity theory
 Age stratification theory
 Modernization theory
 Political economy theory
 Older theories (yes, even theories get old)
What are the Demographics of
Aging?
 Population pyramids
 Dependency ratios
 Life expectancy tables
Life expectancy
How and Why is the Population
Aging?
 Fertility and mortality rates
 Graying of world
 Increased life expectancy
 2010 figures for life expectancy for those 65+
 White
Men
82.8
Women
85.3
 Black
80.9
84.3
Increased life expectancy
What is the oldest
age a person has
lived (unverified)?
(don’t google it)

Oldest man who ever lived?
Annual Editions Unit 1 Discussion
Questions
Get into assigned groups. In addition to answering the critical
thinking questions at the end of your assigned article, answer
these following questions (have someone be the note
taker/spokesperson for your group):
 What age do you want to live to and why?
 What fears do you have about longevity (how do they relate to
what you read)?
 Given what you read in the materials for today, how might
society address these fears – or can we?
 Do you see any connections to definitions and theories of aging
in the articles?