Adulthood and Aging
Chapter 12
I
Defining Adulthood
 A. In our Society –Age 18
 B. Stages
 1. 20-39 early adulthood
 2. 40-59 middle adulthood
 3. 60 and up late adulthood
 C. Each stage has different issues
 II
Early Adulthood 20-39
 A. Adult characteristics
 1. People are more stable and less insecure
 2. Emotionally invested in family
What are the 2 characteristics of
Early Adulthood?
 1.
More stable and less insecure
 2.
Emotionally invested in family
B. Marriage & Divorce
1. Nearly everyone marries and expects
it to last
2. Mutual respect is necessary
a. both give and receive
b. treat with consideration
c. not demeaning or insulting
3. In 90% of marriages
(with children) the wife is
employed.
What do you need for
mutual respect?
 1.
both give and receive
 2. treat with consideration
 3. not demeaning or insulting
4. When there is a divorce
a. mothers usually receive custody
b. psychological effects are not always
positive for children.
1. Visitation with other non custodial
parent decreases as they get older
2. Feel abandoned and rejected
3. Fathers do not realize how
important they are.
C. Family Life
1. Most young adult women
a. focus more on family than careers.
b. take on more family obligations.
c. are distressed at turning 30.
d. usually do the child care.
e. Are the spouse that makes
adjustments when necessary
for a happy family.
What do young adult women take
on for the family?
1.
 2.
 3.
 4.
 5.

focus on family
take on more family obligations
distressed at turning 30
usually do the child care
make adjustments for family harmony
2. Men concentrate on careers because
it supports their families
a. More involved with families
than earlier generations
b. Do about 20% of housework
when wives work.
3. Society expects parents to spend
time with family
a. but doesn’t give more time: jobs
etc
What do men concentrate on?
Their careers
Why?
It takes care of their families


How much housework do they do?
20%
III Midlife Transition (or crisis) (age 40)
A. Questions about the real meaning of life
arises
1. Sense of urgency
2. Kids grown and parents are older
3. Not everyone is depressed but many
are


IV Middle Adulthood 40’s
 A. Forties

1. Men become more warm and tender

2. Women more independent and

assertive

3. Marital satisfaction is at an all time

low in their 40’s



B. Fifties
1. Men and Women become more mellow
C. Empty Nest Period- Psychological
condition

1. Life after children leave home
2. Sometimes mothers’ feel useless and
depressed especially if their only job
was raising children or if they have no
interests or activities of their own.

VII Menopause (late 40’s early 50’s)
 A. When women stop menstruating and

ovulating
 B. Their female hormones decrease,

their male hormones increase
 C. dizzy, insomnia, and hot flashes and

perspiration.
 D. Post menopausal women face heart

disease and brittle bones
VIII. Late Adulthood 60 and up
 A. Longevity has increased
 1. Teenagers do not out number people

over 60.
 2. The majority of women over 65 are

widows.
 3. People over 60 are increasing in

numbers.

B. Cellular time clocks
 1. Preprogrammed life span
 2. Our cells have a standard

multiplication amount.
 3. Remains the same for the last

200 years
 4. If someone avoided disease in

1800’s they would live to 70 just

like today.
C. Their long term memory is unaffected
 D. Memory loss
 1. Results from reduction of chemicals used

for cell communication.
 E. Intelligence tests for the elderly
 1. Bring on too much anxiety to be worth

while

IX Concerns In Old Age
A. Senile dementia
1. Diminished mental faculties
2. Affects about 20% of aged
B. Cerebral arteriosclerosis
1. Causes senile dementia
2. Blocks blood vessels going to brain
C. Alzheimer’s
 1. Can cause senile dementia
 2. Genetic
 3. Reduces chemicals needed for brain

cells to communicate
D. Old people fear
1. Social isolation
2. Poor health
3. Loss of feeling valued
E. Elderly are not any more boring
than they were as a young person.
F. Retirement
1. Elderly are just as active as they were
before they retire.
 X.
Thanatology study of death, burials and
 stages of dying
A. Kubler Ross’ theory on Dying
(stages)
1. Denial- refusal to admit (must
be a mistake)
2. Anger- feeling resentful (why me?)
3. Bargaining- plea for more time
(pray, let me live)
4. Depression- sadness and grieving
(will miss others)
5. Acceptance- peace (not afraid)
What are the five stages of Death and Dying?
1.Denial
2.Anger
3.Bargaining
4.Depression
5.Acceptance
a. Some criticize these stages as not
allowing the dying to have their
own response
B. Death of Spouse
 1. Both men and women handle the loss better

than expected and equally.

C. When one spouse cares for another for

illness
 1. Women are more stressed, because

their role as caretaker is taken for

granted
D. Nursing Homes
 1. 5% of elderly live in nursing homes
 2. Nursing homes or retirement homes
• A. can help residents remain healthy
• B. can allow them to use their skills
• C. If they feel removed from society
• they could feel depressed

E. Terminally ill
 1. Do not usually have a fear of dying they

accept it
 2. They are afraid of being replaced.

XI Help for dying
 A. Having a mortuary prepare a dead

body
 1. Used to be that family did the

preparation when patient died at

home
• A. Amish still do this
 B. Hospice
 1. Places where the terminally ill can

live out the remainder of their lives