2. Different cultures and the elderly Opening Vignette talks about “covering up” elderly woman – (371) Abkhasians live long lives in groups and work well into their 100s (372) Some industrialized nations depend on systems like social security Some of the least industrialized nations have no SS and families are expected to take care of elderly 2 Osborn-Adolescent / The Elderly
3. Industrialization and the Graying of the globe Industrialized nations have higher percentages of elderly – page 373 3 Osborn-Adolescent / The Elderly
4. The Graying of America Life Expectancy - the number of years that an average person at any age, including newborns, can expect to live. 100 years ago the average American could not expect to see age 50! Graying of America – refers to the growing percentage of older people in the U.S. population. Today there are 7 million more elderly Americans than there are teenagers! 4 Osborn-Adolescent / The Elderly
6. Uneven distirbution of elderly in the United States…Social Map, page 376 6 Osborn-Adolescent / The Elderly
7. When are you OLD? Life Span – the maximum length of life of a species; for humans, the longest that a human has lived ________________________________ Your perception of “OLD” changes as you age 4 factors (377) Biology (signs, wrinkles, ect.) Personal history (grandma at 34?) Gender age (relative value that culture places on men’s and women’s ages) Timetables (signals society uses to inform someone they are old, ex: retirement) 7 Osborn-Adolescent / The Elderly
8. Yone Minagawa from Japan, page 377 Born in 1893…Celebrating her 114th birthday . 8 Osborn-Adolescent / The Elderly
9. Is prejudice, discrimination , and hostility, directed against people because of their age. It can be directed against any age group, including youth. Page 380…Does the Mass Media neglect to represent the elderly in a positive light? 9 Osborn-Adolescent / The Elderly AGEISM
10. Disengagement theory - examines retirement as a device for ensuring that a society’s positions of responsibility will be passed smoothly from one generation to the next Active theory – examines how people adjust when they disengage from productive roles Continuity theory – focuses on how people adjust to growing old by continuing their roles and coping techniques 10 Osborn-Adolescent / The Elderly How is retirement functional for society?
11. The Conflict Perspective Social Security Litigation one generation making demands on another for limited resources As the number of retired people grows there are relatively fewer workers to support them Organizations like the gray panthers and the AARP supposedlywatch out for the interests of the retired Approximately 60,000 members of the AARP have quit between July 1 and August 18, 2009, in a controversy that arose over AARP's support for U.S. health care reform 11 Osborn-Adolescent / The Elderly
12. Recurring Problems Women are likely to live alone and be poor About 4% of the elderly live in nursing homes that are understaffed and patients are neglected and dehumanized The most common abusers of the elderly are members of their own family 12 Osborn-Adolescent / The Elderly
13. The Sociology of Death and Dying Like old age, death is much more than a biological event. Industrialization brought with it modern medicine, hospitals, and dying in a formal setting surrounded by strangers Kubler-Ross identified the five stages of the dying process (Denial, Anger, Negotiation, depression, Acceptance) Hospices are a cultural device designed to overcome the negative aspects of dying in hospitals The highest suicide rate is that of people age 85 and over 13 Osborn-Adolescent / The Elderly
14. Looking Towards the Future A major change is to view old age as a time of creativity If this trend continues, it will transform the image of the elderly Technological breakthroughs may stretch the human lifespan If so, is it difficult to see how younger workers will be able to support retired people for 100 years or so *note that our book is a little outdated and the new healthcare bill and rationing of healthcare for the elderly were not taken into consideration yet 14 Osborn-Adolescent / The Elderly
15. The End If your grandparents are still alive, do you really know them? To know them is to really know your true history. The elderly have some of the best stories you will ever hear, don’t be afraid to ask. 15 Osborn-Adolescent / The Elderly
