1. Chapter Twelve
Aging

2. Quotes on Aging
“When people get old and pearls get yellow, neither are worth much.” Chinese Proverb
“The great secret that all old people share is that you really haven’t changed in 70 or 80 years. Your body changes, but you don’t change at all. And that, of course, causes great confusion.” Doris Lessing, The Sunday Times (London)
Perhaps being old is having lighted rooms Inside your head, and people in them, acting. People you know, yet can’t quite name. Phillip Larkin, “The Old Fools”
“This would be beautiful to an infant—why is it merely tragic in an older person? Our feelings about this show the extent to which we judge adults by their function.” John Mighton “Half Live”

3. Outline The Social Significance of Age
Age and the Life Course in Contemporary Society
Inequalities Related to Aging
Sociological Perspectives
Living Arrangements for Older Adults
Death and Dying
Aging in the Future

4. The Social Significance of Aging
Trends in Aging
Age in an Historical Perspective

5. The Social Significance of Aging
Special Terms:
Aging: the physical, psychological, and social processes associated with growing older
Chronological age: a person’s age based on date of birth
Functional age: observable individual attributes such as physical appearance, mobility, strength, coordination, and mental capacity that are used to assign people to age categories

6. Trends in Aging
Today, older Canadians make up more than 10% of the population
This makes Canada’s population one of the oldest in the world

7. Trends in Aging in Canada

8. Trends in Aging Additional terms
Greying of Canada: the aging of the Canadian population resulted from an increase in life expectancy combined with a decrease in birth rates
Life Expectancy: the average length of time a group of individuals of the same age will live
Cohort: a group of people born within a specified period of time

9. Trends in Aging
Research on aging has grown substantially in the past 50 years
Special Terms:
Gerontology: the study of aging and older people
Social gerontology: the study of the social aspects of aging
Includes: societal consequences of an aging population and the personal experience of aging

10. Trends in Aging Some highlighted statistics from Figures 12.1:
1900: 5% of the population was >65
1981: 10% of the population was >65
1991: 12% of the population was>65
2031: 22% of the population will be>65

11. Projected Population By Age 1992-2036 (2003)

12. Population Age 65> 1901-2031 (2004)

13. Trends in Aging Figure 12.4 reveals: The Age Pyramid Distribution
This figure reflects declining birth rates and increases in life expectancy
The result: many more older Canadians and fewer young Canadians

16. Age in Historical Perspective
Theme: people are assigned to different roles and positions based on the age structure and role structure in a particular society.
Age Structure: the number of persons at each age structure and role structure in a particular society
Role Structure: the number and type of positions available to them

17. Age in Historical Perspective
In non-industrial societies, labour was defined as physical
Thus, as people aged, they were less able to contribute to economic well-being of a society
In some hunting and gathering societies they were abandoned or killed
In the 17th and 18th centuries, older persons helped with work and were respected

18. Age and the Life Course in Contemporary Society
Middle Adulthood
Late Adulthood
Retirement
Special Term: Age stratification: “the inequalities, differences, segregation, or conflict between age groups.”

19. Middle Adulthood
In pre-20th century, the life expectancy of Canadians ranged between 40-65
Thus, there was no concept of “middle adulthood”

20. Middle Adulthood Meaning and elements of senescence (primary aging):
Wrinkles and gray hair
Arthritis
Dulling of the senses
Slowing down of reflexes

21. Male-Female Senescene
Menopause The cessation of the menstrual cycle caused by the gradual decline in the body’s production of female hormones such as estrogen and progesterone (p. 369)
Male
Climacteric: the decrease of the male hormone testosterone
Some evidence that it produces nervousness and depression (p.370)

22. Middle Adulthood
Secondary Aging: “occurs as a result of environmental factors and lifestyle choices.” (p. 370)
Elements of Secondary Aging
Smoking, drinking, and little physical exercise result in aging
Positive elements:
Highest level of income and prestige
Leave child rearing responsibilities behind
The enjoyment of grandchildren

23. Late Adulthood Age >65 years in Canada Elements:
Separation of an individual from paid labour
An erosion of an identity based on an occupation
Loss of valued status
Key concept: Retirement: “the institutional separation of an individual from an occupational position, with continuation of income through a retirement pension based on prior years of service” (p. 370)

24. Stages of Being Old The Young Old: ages 65-74 The Old Old: 75-85
The Oldest Old: >85

25. Late Adulthood Elements of late adulthood: Bones become brittle
Increase of arthritis
Increased chance of disease
Some are debilitating: Alzheimer’s Disease (55% of organic mental disorders are caused by Alzheimer’s)
Burden of care on Adult children
Some can be reversed through exercise

26. Further Characteristics of the Old
Nursing homes: 5%
Visual Impairment: 10%
Hearing Loss: 50%

27. Late Adulthood New roles:
Grandparenting
Stress due to illnesses
Most are financially secure: poverty rates have declined for the elderly
Intimacy: One study: married people >65 had a higher level of satisfaction with their romantic relationship than married persons of any other age

28. Retirement
Defined: the institutional separation of an individual from an occupational position, with a continuation of income through a retirement pension based on prior years of service
With new laws, there has been a shift of dependency of the old from their families to the state

29. Retirement
In Canada, all those in paid work contribute to and have access to payments after 65
In addition, about 1.4 million elderly have additional state benefits because of low incomes
There has been a reduction of poverty among the elderly because of this

32. Retirement Effects: New activities Loss of income Loss of identity
Change of lifestyle
Change of friends
New activities
Volunteer organizations
Hobbies
Some return to work

33. Retirement
Problems:
Only a few Canadians have their own pension funds (RRSP). In 1999, a poll showed that only 11% of Canadians actually expected to finance their retirement through lottery winnings
Many retired persons are continuing to work (between 1996 and 2001, twice as many seniors have continued to work than the actual rate of growth of the older population)
Poor Heath: major effects: loss of freedom, becoming isolated

34. Inequalities Related to Aging
Ageism
Wealth, Poverty, and Aging
Elder Abuse

35. Ageism
Related to similar concepts such as prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination
Ageism: prejudice and discrimination against people on the basis of age, particularly when they are older persons (p. 375)
Sources of stereotypes (some are from the media):
People are unattractive
Unintelligent
Asexual
Unemployment
Mentally incompetent

36. Ageism Effects of these stereotypes
Difficulty in finding work if needed
Negative self image

37. Wealth, Poverty, and Aging
Has the economic situation of older Canadians improved? Yes
The income of those >65 and over rose by 18% between 1981 to 1997
Will they be able to maintain a satisfactory standard of living? Yes
Older people have less income but more wealth
Still, 15% have low incomes

38. Wealth, Poverty, and Aging
Feminization of poverty:
Poverty rate for elderly women is double the poverty rate for elderly men
Unattached elderly women are at risk of poverty
In 2000, 43% of women living alone had incomes below the low-income cut-off, compared to 31% of men

39. Wealth, Poverty, and Aging
Feminization of poverty:
Gender was more directly related to poverty in older persons than ethnicity or race
Others who are more likely to experience poverty: those whose language is not English or French, those with limited education, Aboriginals, people in small towns and unattached persons.

40. Elder Abuse
Defined: the physical abuse, the psychological abuse, financial exploitation, and medical abuse or neglect of people >65
Known as the “Hidden victims.”
1999 survey: about 4000 were surveyed:
7% reported abuse from an adult child, caregiver, or spouse
Emotional abuse was the most common

41. Elder Abuse Police records:
About 25% of reported offences were from family members
Kinds:
Assault
Uttering threats
Robbery
Financial abuse
Older people report fear of crime
Effects: more serious as they are more vulnerable

42. Sociological Perspectives
Functionalist
Symbolic Interactionist
Conflict
Feminist
Postmodernist

43. Functionalist
Theme: how older persons adjust to the changing roles in society...to devalue the elderly is dysfunctional for society
Theory: disengagement theory: older persons make a normal and healthy adjustment to aging when they detach themselves from their social roles and prepare for their eventual death
Functional both for the person and the society

44. Symbolic Interactionist
Theme: how people deal with the aging process and how this experience can vary under different circumstances
Activity theory: states that people tend to shift gears in late middle age and find substitutes for previous statuses, roles, and activities

45. Symbolic Interactionist
Hypothesis: Healthy people who remain active have a higher level of life satisfaction than those who are inactive or in ill health
Continuity: people attempt to maintain their self-esteem and lifelong principles and practices and that they simply adjust to the feedback from and needs of others as they grow older

46. Symbolic Interactionist
Problem: the elderly are not valued for their long experiences
Exchange: older people can exchange their knowledge for deference and respect from younger people

47. Conflict
Theme: in capitalist societies, as people age they lose control and power
Visible minority elderly have additional challenges
Aboriginal peoples suffer more
Yet, in many Aboriginal peoples elders have a higher status than among other Canadians

48. Feminist Perspectives
A major problem for women: During their potential for earnings, it was a expectation that women were stay at home mothers ( )…thus they gained little independent incomes with relevant retirement plans
Nearly half of women over age sixty-five are widowed and living alone on fixed incomes

49. Feminist Perspectives
Gender was more directly related to poverty in older persons than was ethnicity, educational background, or occupational status
Many middle-age women are working but make less than men and thus have less to save for retirement and less monies in pension funds

50. Postmodern Perspectives
Focus: a new social construction of the elderly in the light of:
Erosion of aging stages
Labour demands can be met by the elderly
Technology is creating “age-less” elderly
Examples: breast implants, face-lifts, hormone replacement therapies
Less and less demands for retirement at 65

51. Postmodern Perspectives
Focus: a new social construction of the elderly in the light of:
Increased health for the elderly
Increased recreation
Question: How far can we go to “undo” primary aging mechanisms?

52. Living Arrangements for Older Adults
Growth of institutionalization of the elderly
Yet, only 10% of women and 5% of men are in these facilities
Extensions of care:
Homemaker services
Daycare centres
Family
Social networks

53. Living Arrangements for Older Adults
Nursing Homes
Any institution that offers medical care for chronically ill older people but is not a hospital
Many people suffer from the transition
Some evidence of abuse, neglect, excessive use of restraints

54. Death and Dying
In pre-industrial societies, many people died before they were old
Death was considered part of life
In current, industrialized societies, death is a problem
Question of assisted suicide
Question of ethical guidelines for the removal of life supports

55. Death and Dying How do people cope with death?
1) stage-based approach: use of Kubler-Ross’ proposed five stages
2) Dying trajectory: may be sudden or gradual
3) Task-based approach: the dying person can and should go about daily activities and fulfill tasks that make the process of dying easier

56. Death and Dying An institutional approach:
the emergence of the hospice: a homelike facility that provides supportive care for patients with terminal illnesses

57. Aging in the Future Elements of the future:
By the year 2031, there will be 8 million persons >65
Will be less ageism
Who will care for them?
Families
Women as care givers
New medical breakthroughs
Growth of Interest groups for the elderly

58. Questions
How will the increase in number of Canadians over 65 impact institutions?
Explain and critique disengagement theory and activity theory.
Give examples of how the stages of age (childhood, middle age, old age ex.) are socially constructed.
How can seniors be better integrated into Canadian Society? What does society risk if they are not?

59. References
Moody, Harry R Aging : Concepts and Controversies Pine Forge Press 2000