Chapter 11, Age and Sex
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Age Stratification
The Social Significance of Aging
Growing Up/Growing Old: Aging and the Life
Course
Sex, Social Structure and Social Stratification
Sexuality and Sociological Theory
Chapter 11, Age and Sex
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Contemporary Sexual Attitudes and Behavior
Sex and Social Issues
Age, Sex and Social Change
The Graying of America: A Society Grows Old
The Sexual Revolution
Theoretical Perspectives on Age
Stratification
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Functionalism sees both youth and elderly as
less useful or “functional” for society.
Disengagement theory predicts that as people
age, they withdraw from society and are
relieved of responsibilities.
Theoretical Perspectives on Age
Stratification
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Conflict theory sees ageism as eliminating
youth and the elderly from competition over
scarce resources.
Symbolic interaction theory sees youth and the
elderly as infantilized via cultural symbols, such
as language and popular culture.
Physical Process of Aging
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The effects of aging depend on biological,
social, and environmental factors.
Short-term memory becomes less accurate,
but long-term memory becomes more
accurate.
Artistic abilities have been known to develop in
later life.
Life Course Perspective
Within each generation, life events shape the
sociological experience of age groups:
 Childhood
 Youth and adolescence
 Adulthood
 Old age
Childhood
The image of a childhood as carefree is not the
reality for many children:
 1/4 of those living in shelters are children.
 26% of children live in poverty.
 As many as 16% of girls under age 18
experience sexual abuse.
Youth and Adolescence
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Until the 20th century, children moved directly
into adult roles, there was no adolescence
period.
Establishing an identity is the central concern
of this life stage.
Special vocabularies and manners of speaking,
argot, define youth independence from adults.
Adulthood
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Carries more responsibility, rights and
privileges than any other stage in the life cycle.
The economic and social resources one has
influences how one experiences each phase of
adulthood, including “mid-life.”
Retirement
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Maintaining social contacts from work and
elsewhere eases the burdens of retirement.
Taking on a job when retired creates social
networks, which is linked to better health.
Most pension systems discriminate against
women who have on average lower lifetime
earnings.
Old Age
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The majority of men and women remain
sexually active well into their 70s and 80s.
The majority of the elderly adjust well to
changes.
Only about 10% of the elderly become senile.
One of the most difficult adjustments of old age
is widowhood.
Elder Abuse
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There are between 820,000 and 1,860,000
abused elders in the U.S.
Includes physical abuse, sexual abuse,
emotional abuse, financial exploitation, neglect,
abandonment and self-neglect.
Median age for elder abuse victims is 76.5
years.
Social and Cultural Basis of
Sexuality
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Human sexual attitudes and behavior vary in
different cultural contexts.
Sexual attitudes and behavior change over
time.
Sexual identity is learned.
Social institutions channel and direct human
sexuality.
Sex: Functional or Conflict-Based?
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Functionalist theory tends to depict sexuality in
terms of how it contributes to the stability of
social institutions.
Conflict theorists see sexuality as part of the
power relations and economic inequality in
society.
Social Construction of Sexual
Identity
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One’s sexual identity develops through social
experiences.
Different sexual identities are possible, and are
learned through socialization.
Sexual Practices of Americans
Random sample of nearly 3500 adults reveals
several trends:
 Young people are sexually active earlier.
 The proportion of young people who are
sexually active has increased.
 Having only one sex partner in one’s lifetime is
rare.
Sexual Practices of Americans
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A significant number of people have
extramarital affairs.
A significant number of people are
homosexual.
For those who are sexually active, sex is
relatively frequent.
People are not very well informed about sex.
Sex and Social Issues
Sex is related to some of the most difficult social
problems including:
 Reproductive technologies
 Abortion
 Pornography
 Teen pregnancy
The Graying of America
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By 2015, 27% of population will be 55 and
over.
By 2025, 30% will be over 55.
The percentage of the population classified as
the oldest old will continue to grow.
Women will outnumber men in old age.
The Sexual Revolution
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Many changes in the sexual revolution have
been changes in women’s behavior.
Resulted in more commercialized sex and
defined sex as a commodity.
Definitions of sexuality are influenced by the
advertising industry.
Inequalities of race, class, and gender shape
sexual relationships and values.