Module 2

Question 1

Life Course

Answer 1

refers to the biological, psychological, social, historical and economic factors that shape the lives of people over time

Question 2

The Life Course Framework

Answer 2

approach to the study of aging that emphasizes the interaction historical events, individual decisions and opportunities, and the effect of early life experiences in determining later life outcomes.
ie. early life experiences (family environment, wars, childgood trauma etc) reverberate across the life course.

Question 3

Transitions

Answer 3

key points in the life course when changes in social roles occur
* societal expectations often exist around when transitions should occur (e.g. you should retire at 65)

Question 4

Countertransitions

Answer 4

changes that are caused when another person’s role changes (e.g. when your sibling becomes a parent and you become an aunt or uncle)

Question 5

Trajectory

Answer 5

a series of transitions
* in the past, life course trajectories were viewed as predictable and linear, but now there are an increasing number of pathways that might be taken

Question 6

Middle life

Answer 6

In the 19th C. women spent approx. 90% of their adult lives in child rearing (due to lower life expectancy) by the 70s this decreased to 40%. Adults now spend less of their time involved in childrearing, resulting in a period of life called ‘Middle Life’

Question 7

Empty Nest

Answer 7

refers to the 20+ year period when couples usually live alone but are not yet old

Question 8

Life course events: 3 characteristics

Answer 8

Timing: age norms are informal roles about age appropriate roles and behaviours
Duration: # of years in a course phase
Sequence: Life course events are usually made in particular order (sequence).

Question 9

Theory of cumulative disadvantage

Answer 9

proposes that disadvantages of an individual or group are magnified over time therefore inequalities are expected to increase with age.

Question 10

Feminization of poverty

Answer 10

gender pay gap, reduced educational and work opportunities, expected social roles, unfair pension systems

Question 11

Life Course Research challanges:

Answer 11

how to distinguish between age, period, and cohort effects

Question 12

Age grading

Answer 12

an anthropological study of age grading

Question 13

Age grades

Answer 13

ways of using age as a social category to group people by status. Males are ranked in hierarchical order according to the age group.

Question 14

Life course research: Age effect

Answer 14

change occurring as a result of advanced age
e.g. wrinkling of skin over time

Question 15

Life course research: Period effect

Answer 15

Impact of historical event on whole society
e.g. impact of WWII had on young men who fought in the war

Question 16

Life course research: Cohort effect

Answer 16

social change that occurs as one cohort replaces another
*ex. increased involvement in the labour force of women in the baby boomer and echo boomer cohorts compared to previous cohorts

Question 17

micro theories

Answer 17

Focus on the individual or a small group of people

Question 18

meso theories

Answer 18

focus on connections between micro and macro levels structures

Question 19

macro

Answer 19

focus on the broader social systems

Question 20

interiorization of ego- the basis for disengagement theory

Answer 20

a withdrawal from involvement in worldly affairs, a decrease in energy and a decrease impulse control

Question 21

Micro theories of aging

Answer 21

have sought to explain what contributes to normal and optimal aging.
3 micro theories:
Disengagement theory, Activity Theory and Continuity theory

Question 22

Disengagement Theory

Answer 22

Micro theory
A mutual disengagement of the individual and society that occurs in old age so death will be less disruptive to the social system
*inevitable, universal and irreversible
*1st theory proposed in 1961
*has been strongly critiqued

Question 23

Activity Theory

Answer 23

Micro theory
Older adults attempt to maintain their activities of find substitutes for them later in life
*remaining active later in life positively impacts well-being

Question 24

Continuity Theory

Answer 24

Micro theory
Older adults attempt to maintain continuity (external and internal) in their lives

Question 25

Continuity Theory–Internal continuity

Answer 25

continuity of ideas, temperament, mood, etc.

Question 26

Continuity Theory–external continuity

Answer 26

roles, relationships, and environment
*has been critiqued because continuity of health and abilities may not be possible in old age

Question 27

Meso Theories of aging

Answer 27

focused on the interaction between the individual and the social system.
3 key theories:
Subculture Theory, Exchange Theory and Social Constructionism

Question 28

Subculture Theory

Answer 28

Meso theory: Subcultures develop among people who have similar interests/experiences or have been excluded from full participation in broader society

Question 29

Exchange Theory

Answer 29

Meso theory: Social relationships are most satisfying when both parties feel they they contribute equally to the relationship
*asserts that individuals will only continue to engage in exchanges when the benefits are greater than the costs
*ignores long-tern accumulations, debts, good-will or love

Question 30

Social Constructionism

Answer 30

Humans are active agents who create their own identity
*places older adults as active agents but ignores structural processes

Question 31

Macro Theories of Aging–6 key theories

Answer 31

Moderization Theory, Age stratification theory, age integration theory, political economy theory, feminist theory and critical gerontology

Question 32

Modernization Theory

Answer 32

Macro theory–The view that nations can be placed on a continuum from least developed to most developed, according to such indicators as the level of industrialization or the degree of urbanization, with those exhibiting certain qualities of social structure termed modern; basic premise is that the aged were revered in the past and that modernization has caused the status of the aged to decline.

Question 33

Modernization theory critique

Answer 33

has been challenged by historians who say the Golden Age of aging never existed and it was rare in N.A. to live in multigenerational homes

Question 34

4 key factors that contribute to the loss of status of elderly in modern societies according to the Modernization theory:

Answer 34

1) Advances in health technology (increased life expectancy and cause pop aging
2) Modern economic technology (jobs of elderly obsolete–accelerating rate of retirement)
3) Urbanization (draws people away from the family home to the city)
4) Mass education (undermines status and position of the elderly as sources of knowledge)

Question 35

Age stratification theory

Answer 35

Macro theory– proposes that society groups people into social categories (age cohorts) which provide them with social identities. Age cohorts are a key unit for examining differences between groups of people.

Question 36

Age cohort

Answer 36

Refers to people who were born at the same time and thus share similar life experiences.

Question 37

Age integration Theory

Answer 37

propose age stratification can create age-segregated (e.g. schools) and also age-integrated (e.g. place of worship). Structural lag can occur when outdated policies and age segregated institutions prevent certain age groups from participating fully in society (e.g. outdated laws that require all employees to retire at age 65)

Question 38

Inequality theories

Answer 38

critically evaluate existing assumptions about how the world works, seek to uncover who controls the structure of power and asks what consequences the unequal distribution of power has for older people

Question 39

Political Economy Theory

Answer 39

Highlights the role of structural institutions and power relationships in understand how older adults are treated in society
*how public policies effect distribution of resources that contribute to inequality
*ignores agency of individuals

Question 40

Feminist Theories

Answer 40

An approach that focuses on the gendered nature of society

Question 41

Critical Gerontology

Answer 41

Perspective that research on aging has been based on an uncritical analysis and use of theories and images from pop culture
*incorporates political economy and feminist approaches and also includes globalization and global focus

Question 42

Kansas City study of Adult Life

Answer 42

1950s–A series of studies designed to identify how people adjusted to normal aging processes; the studies coupled an emphasis on adjustment with measures of social role performance across the life span.

Question 43

Cross-sectional research

Answer 43

research comparing people of different age cohorts at a single point in time. Ask the same info of people in several age groups
* not ideal for distinguishing age, period, and cohort effects
*less costly than longitudinal studies and they allow researchers to draw conclusions about cohort effects that cannot be gained through tthe study of a single age group

Question 44

Longitudinal Research

Answer 44

some of the complex methodological issues involved in distinguishing between age effects, cohort effects and period effects can be sorted out through longitudinal research
*follow the same group of people over time
*longest longitudinal study= The Harvard study of Adult Development began in 1938 for nearly 80 years
*disadvantages: costly, have biases because subjects are lost over time as people drop out, move away, or die

Question 45

Participant observation research

Answer 45

A form of Qualitative Research: researchers observe people in a natural setting, keeping copious notes on what they observe and then organize their observations to help understand patterns of behaviour, decision-making processes and the social character of communities

Question 46

Open-ended interview

Answer 46

A form of Qualitative Research that allows respondents to answer a question without using pre-determined categories

Question 47

Social Clock

Answer 47

The age norms that provide a prescriptive timetable that orders major life events.