1. Portrayal of the elderly

2. Modernization theory and the loss of status among the elderly
Transition from traditional, agrarian societies to modern, industrial societies
Improved healthcare leads to larger number of elderly, institutionalized retirement
Technological advances lead to new jobs, need for cutting-edge skills rather than job experience

3. Urbanization leads to geographic movement and breakup of extended families
Implementation of public education replaces oral tradition favoring elderly with written word and institutionalized knowledge

4. Signorielli:
Age was measured in two separate ways: (1) an estimate of each character's
chronological age, and (2) a measure of social age which categorized age from the perspective of stages in the life cycle

8. Social Age by Gender and Race Primetime, 1993-2002
Source: Signorielli

9. Source: Cuddy & Fiske

10. Male and Female Primetime Representation by Age

11. Male and Female Primetime Representation by Age

12. % of Characters Playing Leadership Roles

13. % of Characters With Some Occupational Power Over Others

14. % of Characters Seeking Goals