An Aging Society
Chapter 9
Aging as a Social Problem
• Aging places stress on the individual and society
• Long term failure of social institutions to
accommodate the elderly
• Failure of the family to adapt to presence of older
members
• Strain on the labor force as careers of the young
are blocked by those in their middle years
Aging as a Social Problem
• Three factors are related to some of the problems
of the aged
• 1. Labeling, which leads to discrimination and
stigmatization of the elderly
• 2. The concept of work as the basis of personal
value and the impact of retirement
• 3. Economic deprivation
Perspectives on Aging
• Functionalists view aging as a problem because
institutions of society are not working well enough
to serve the needs of an aging population
• Interactionists view the term elderly as a
stigmatizing label (ageism) that negatively impacts
the elderly in society
• Conflict theorists view the problems of the elderly
stemming from their lack of power to shape social
institutions
The Elderly in America Today
• Problems of the elderly today are tied to the
process of modernization
• The transformation of societies into complex
urban and industrialized communities
• Modernization has led to increased life expectancy
» Medical advances
» Modern techniques of sanitation and
water supply and nutritional intake
The Elderly in America Today
• Increased life expectancy has also led to more
major health problems among the elderly
• Urbanization has also led to a shift in the elderly
population geographically
» Rural elderly in the Midwest and
Plains states
» Movement of the elderly to Florida
and the Southwest
Age Stratification
• Age stratification – the segregation of the
population into various age strata
• Limits the roles of different age strata
• Age stratification is related to some of the
disengagement of the elderly from certain social
roles
» Work roles as an illustration
Age Stratification
• Age stratification is also related to age segregation
and conflict
» Segregated into retirement
communities
• Intergenerational conflict
Who Are the Elderly?
• The elderly are a diverse population often
broken down into three groups
• Young-old - those between the ages of 65 to 75
» Still inclined to be healthy and active
• Steady increase in the population over 65 over the
next generation
» Aging of the baby boom generation
• Old-old - those over 75
» More likely to require support services
Who Are the Elderly?
• Oldest-old - those over the age of 85
• Frail elderly consist of those over 65 because of
poor health and economic problems can not care
for themselves without help
• Two-thirds of the elderly live in urban areas
• The elderly often represent a large portion of the
population of small towns with out-migration of
the young
• Elderly migration to the West and South and the
formation of retirement communities
Who Are the Elderly?
• The Uneven Graying of America
• The 2000 census revealed that the elderly
population is continuing to grow rapidly, it is not
evenly distributed over the continent
• During the last decade, the most rapid increases in
the elderly population were among the oldest of
the old, those over 85
Ageism
• Ageism is the subordination of and devaluation of
the elderly in society
• Ageism is reflected in government
» Administration on Aging has low
status within government
» Aging departments are often the
subject of budget cuts during lean
times
Ageism
• Ageism is reflected in mandatory retirement
» Loss of status
» Economic security
» Social isolation
• Ageism is reflected in the media
» Negative portrayal of the elderly
• Ageism is also reflected in the high rate of suicide
among the elderly
Ageism
• Ageism is also reflected in the high rate of suicide
among the elderly
• Suicide among the elderly is related to
» Loss of status and income
» Poor health
» Loss of friend and family relationships
and social isolation
Dimensions of the Aging Process
• Physiological Aspects of Aging
• Chronological Aging - simple accumulation of
years
• Gerontology has emerged as a discipline
concerned with studying the aging process
Dimensions of the Aging Process
• Physiological Aspects of Aging
• Primary and secondary aging
• Primary aging is the result of molecular and
cellular changes
» Gray hair
» Wrinkling of skin
» Weakened immune system
» Brain cell loss
Dimensions of the Aging Process
• Physiological Aspects of Aging
• Primary and secondary aging
• Secondary aging is caused by environmental
factors:
» Lack of exercise
» Stress
» Trauma
» Poor diet
» Disease
Dimensions of the Aging Process
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Physiological Aspects of Aging
Primary and secondary aging
Aging is a gradual process
Carries a personal timetable
Effects of aging are not inevitable
Preventative strategies can be used to slow the
aging process
Dimensions of the Aging Process
• Psychological Dimensions of Aging
• The psychological effects of aging
• The shrinking of one’s social environment
» Self-concept
» Loss of status
» Circle of friends and family grow
smaller
• The negative label associated with aging impacts
the elderly’s well-being
Dimensions of the Aging Process
• Social and Cultural Dimensions of Aging
• The Aged as a Minority Group
• Victims of prejudice, stereotyping, and
discrimination
• Quasi-minority
» Potential power of the elderly is
enormous
Dimensions of the Aging Process
• Social and Cultural Dimensions of Aging
• Myths and Stereotypes About the Elderly
• The elderly are often viewed as
» Senile
» Lacking individuality
» Tranquil
» Nonproductive
» Conservative and resistant to change
Dimensions of the Aging Process
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Social and Cultural Dimensions of Aging
Myths and Stereotypes About the Elderly
Myths about older women
Health - older women are hypochondriacs
Marriage - widowhood is viewed negatively
Widowhood - widows base their identities on their
dead husbands
• The rocking-chair image
Concomitants of Aging
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Victimization of the Elderly
Victims of fraud
Victims of crime
Elder Abuse
At least 1.5 million cases of elder abuse each year
Private households
Institutional settings
Concomitants of Aging
• Health Care and the Aged
• Chronic illnesses
• Growing health care needs and lack of income to
afford it
• Medicare
• Medicaid, of which 35 percent goes towards the
elderly
Concomitants of Aging
• Economic Discrimination
• Older workers are targets of job discrimination
» Mandatory retirement
• Discrimination in looking for jobs
» Overqualified
• 1967 Age and Discrimination Employment Act
» Prohibits discrimination of workers
between the age of 40-65
Concomitants of Aging
• Economic Discrimination
• Multiple Jeopardy
• Minority workers often experience double
discrimination
• Family Problems
• Institutional placement is often a difficult decision
• A growing number of elderly people are facing the
burden of rearing their grandchildren
Concomitants of Aging
• Retirement
• Retirement and the dependency ratio
» Non working population that is
dependent on those that are working
for support
• Dependency ratio and the cost of:
» Medicare
» Social Security
Concomitants of Aging
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Death
Kübler-Ross and the dying process:
1. Denial and isolation
2. Anger and resentment
3. Bargaining and an attempt to postpone death
4. Depression and a sense of loss
5. Acceptance
Concomitants of Aging
• Death
• Hospice - special institutions designed for the
terminally ill
• Home hospice care
• Death with Dignity
Social Policy
• Housing
• Living alone and dealing with isolation and
loneliness
• Elderly who live with their adult children or
relatives do so for financial reasons or declining
health
• Elderly face limited housing choices
Social Policy
• Health Care
• Growing elderly population in need of health care
» Medicare and growing cost
• Long-term care
• Subsidies for prescription drugs
Social Policy
• Retirement and Social Security
• Social Security benefits are too small for the
purposes these subsidies meet
• Inequality and social security payments
» Low-income workers receive less
» Discriminates against women