Introduction to Sociology Instructor: Valerie Gunhus

Unit 4 Mini-lecture # 2 Aging

The sociology of aging looks at the social experience of aging in our society. Let me
outline at least 5 areas of content that this subfield of sociology investigates.
1. The social norms and role expectations that structure behavior of people in different age
categories. Where literally, the statement “Act your Age” is in part defining how
people of different age groups are expected to act / not act, and how those expectations
change as you grow older.
In our society thanks to Human Growth and Development courses!, recognize a
plethora of distinct developmental age related stages.

Prenatal
Infant
Toddler
Child
Adolescent = a period of liminality and role ambiguity in terms of age related roles.
Young Adult
Adult = most closely connected to age 30!!! (good news for some of you, hey!)
Middle Adulthood
Older Adult = most closely connected to age 64.
Elderly = most closely connected to age 85.

Each of these ‘age stages’ is a social status (position we occupy) with associated social
role expectations. They each impact our “self concept” at that point in time.
 How we think of ourselves at this age: 5, 15, 24, 30, 40, 50, 69.
 How we think or are told by others we “ought to be acting” given our age.
 What we should have achieved by now, given others our same age and their
achievements.

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  How we interact with others: are we finally the older ones in the room, when
did we graduate from the “kids table” at holiday family gatherings. Are we
the caretakers now?
With many statuses, we experience only one side of things. For example, to be born white
means that you will not experience the life of being Black or Asian. To be born female
means that you will (probably never, unless a sex change surgery) experience the life of
being a male. With age…. It presents a different scenario… we move through age
categories, sequentially, experiencing every one we are lucky enough to live to…. And
with no option of ever going back. (Bummer on that note!)

Rites of Passage = the socially significant transitions in age related privileges and
responsibilities. They are usually marked by a ceremony, demarking the end of one status
and the beginning of a new status. They are socially defined and assigned to an age. This
is not necessarily biologically driven. It is not that magically at age 16 your feet can reach
the pedals of a car…. Rather it is at that point we as a society have decided to confer the
rights and responsibilities of driving upon you.
2. The Historical Perspective – How Age Cohorts have generational differences in
experiences that have influenced Who they are. Have influenced their “Self”.

Socialization lasts for a lifetime, it is the lifelong learning of one’s position and
expectations in a particular society. Who We are at any given point in time is a product of
the social influences upon self as we grew up ~ like the ones discussed in the first mini-
lecture: family, peers, media, schools. It is also a product of our “Social Location in
Society / History”. For example, when you were born as a baby, were you born wanting to
grow up and have credit cards, video games, name brand clothes, college education, etc.?
These are values and social norms engrained by virtue of what point in time (History) you
were born. What generation were you born in? What were the characteristics of that
generation given the social events that were taking place at that time?

The Veterans Generation (Born: 1922-1943)

The Baby Boomer Generation ( Born: 1943-1960)

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 The Generation Xers (Born: 1960-1980)
The Millennial Generation (Born: 1980-2000)
Generation Z (Born: 2000-2020)

The Veterans
 The “We Are” Generation
 Defining Events:
o Great Depression
o WWII, Korean War
o Radio
 Core Values
o Hard Work
o Loyalty
o Conformity, Adherence to Rules
o Respect for Authority
o Focus on family, country and others
 Growing Up Environments
o Males breadwinners
o Fiscally conservative
o Family Important
o Patriotism
 View of Technology
o Luxury
 Work
o Dedicated
o Seniority
o Respectful of Authority
o Supportive of Hierarchy
o Low Risk Takers
o Recognition valued, earned

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 o Leads in a Directive Manner
Baby Boomers
o The “I AM” generation
o Defining Events
 Prosperity
 Civil and Women’s Rights
 Space Race
 Birth Control Pill
 JFK and King assassinations
 Vietnam, Cold War, Cuban Missile crisis
 Suburbia
 Television
o Core Values
 Optimism
 Personal growth and satisfaction
 Work
 Materialism
 Team play
o Growing Up Environments
 Buy now – pay later
 Nuclear families
 Leave it to Beaver program
 Elvis, American Bandstand, Beach Boys
o View of Technology
 Nice to have but not necessary
o Work
 Driven (live to work)
 Defined by job
 Pleasing the boss and self
 Participatory Leadership
 Competitive

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  Untrustworthy
The Generation X’ers
 The “We Differ” generation
 Defining events
o Watergate
o Increase Divorce / Working Moms
o Challenger spaceship disaster
o End of Cold War
o AIDs
o Computers
o Crack Cocaine
o Roe v. Wade
o Earth Day

 Growing Up Environments
o Latchkey kids, single parent homes
o Video games, Sesame Street, MTV
o Drive through restaurants, remote controls, microwaves
o Reactive to social woes
o Few heroes
 Core Values
o Diversity
o Balance
o Independent
o Embrace Change
o Creative
o Risk-taking
o Skeptical
 View of Technology
o Techno-literate

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  Work
o Work to live
o Multi-task
o Disdain authority
o Corporate Nomads, look for new opportunities
o Need feedback and flexibility
o Demand competent managers
o Want concerns heard and needs met

The Millennials

o The “We Connect” generation

o Defining Events
 Fall of Berlin Wall
 Persian Gulf
 School Violence
 Drugs, Gangs’
 Oklahoma City Bombing
 Internet
o Growing Up Environments
 Sheltered by Parents
 Highly involved in outside activities
 Mobile devices
 Digital media
o Core Values
 Embrace diversity
 Civic-minded
 Rule-followers, accept authority
 Optimistic
 Globally concerned

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  Family oriented
 Self-reliant
 Health conscious
 High achievers
 Fun – seeking
 Consumeristic
o View of Technology
 Part of everyday life (tech-savvy)
 Expected
 Positive for society
o Work
 Balance between work and family
 Change careers 5-8 times in lifetime
 Have trouble dealing with difficult people
 Teamwork
 “Always On”
 Respectful
 High affinity for Veterans
 Good work ethic
 High priority on making money
Generation Z
 Defining Events:
o Both the September 11 terrorist attacks and the Great Recession have
greatly influenced the attitudes of this generation in the United States
 Growing up environments:
o Non-traditional households are one of the most prominent features
associated with Generation Z's familial culture. In the 2010s, fewer
women are having children (around 80 percent of those of
childbearing age, against 90 percent in the 1970s), and those who do
have fewer children at a later age.[23]

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 o Marriage rates have fallen as well as divorce rates, which are still
relatively high. According to the U.S. census of 2010, both women
and men get married at a later age– women's first marriage averaging
to the age of 26 and men's to the age of 29. This is due to the popular
idea of becoming financially and emotionally independent before
beginning a life with a significant other or children. Multiracial
families have also become very prevalent. (Wikipedia, 2016)
 View of Technology
o first to have internet technology so readily available at a very young
age.
o With 77% of 12–17 year olds owning a cellphone in 2015,[41]
technology has strongly influenced Generation Z in terms of
communication and education.
o Social media is known to be a vehicle to express how members of
Generation Z go about their daily lives and also express their beliefs.
(Wikipedia, 2016)

The type of society we are born into…. Determines the type of people we become! Let me
outline the various “age related stages” and how the experience of this age stage was
historically different than it is today.

Childhood
Prior to Industrialization…..
 Childhood was over at a young age (7) or so. At which point children were
expected to become economic producers for the family income rather than
solely economic consumers of the family’s resources.
 Social conformity and discipline was achieved through strict punishments.
People of this generation were disciplined with leather straps, rules over
their knuckles in school, etc. etc. My parents have shared many a story
which seem just brutal to our day and age, of how kids were disciplined in
the country schools or at home. And they have even commented that ‘my

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 parenting skills at disciplining’ would benefit by more physical
interventions. When I was on crutches for bunion surgery and unable to
move, my dad demonstrated just this when my child was acting up when
they had come over for supper one night. A strong tug on his ear as he was
being “walked” sternly out of the room was what my child unexpectedly got
from his grandpa. My mouth was drop jaw as I couldn’t do anything but
think to myself, “please don’t leave a mark that the teachers will
question!!” Because this is the reality of my generation and the limitations
of disciplining your children with physical means. Very different from my
parents’ generation. And it shaped how they think, what choices they made,
who they are!
After the Industrialization
 Less emphasis on child labor and childhood became an extended time for
fun and play with few responsibilities.
 Children are expected to be economic consumers of their parents’ money
and energy until they move out of the house!! And deprived, if not a closet
full of toys! Or should I revise that to Room full?!

Adolescence = new term and age related stage that wasn’t even recognized or invented
until the 1900’s.
 In essence, it lengthens the time between the stage of childhood to adult. It delays
the full transfer of rights and responsibilities until some later age rather than being
conferred at physical maturity, graduation from the 8th grade or whatever.
 Cross-culturally we don’t see this age stage acknowledged. The rite of passage
from childhood to adult does take place around the time of physical maturity.
However, physical maturity usually comes later than it does in our society (in part
due to dietary habits that increase body fat at an earlier age).
 It is a period of liminality: they are neither this nor that, neither a child, nor an adult
and so it presents much role ambiguity and confusion. Some have suggested that

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 our society need a clearer rite of passage to socially demark the end of childhood
and announce more clearly what the expectations of this new age stage are. I have
heard of some families giving a “coming of age party” as a rite of passage that
marks the end of adolescence. Neat idea! They sort of formally set the boundaries
of how much they will financially support the young adult and what the
expectations they now have upon their own shoulders.

Young Adulthood = has become yet another extension of liminality in a sense.

 They are neither psychologically adolescents nor sociologically accepted as full

adults, with all adult level expectations and responsibilities.
 The trends are for this age group to be still living at home or returning home after a
crisis.
 The trend also includes more difficulty for this age group to have yet attained
economic independence.
 They also tend to delay marriage and in some cases delay childbearing which may
make them seen as more “children within the family yet” rather than adults separate
and equal to their parents.

Middle Years (30-65)

 Recent Past – The social role expectations for males versus females have been quite
different. They were mostly all married and done having their children by early
thirties. They were firmly entrenched in a lifetime career by their thirties.
 Today – The role expectations are / have quickly changed to be more egalitarian,
with gender neutral expectations of domestic responsibilities, childrearing
responsibilities, and careers.
 Trends are that they have extended college careers. Hopefully, more years of
steady progression toward a higher degree rather than the 5-year plan for the 4 year
degree , so they are just starting a career by age 30.
 Trends also include, divorced and marrying a 2nd time, dating again.

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  The postponement of childbearing may mean that grandparent-hood comes much
later in their lives at a point when are less able to physically participate as
grandparents.
 For Women – the expectation of Super woman and conflicting role expectations
because of demands of family, home, career, marriage (not necessarily in that
order).
 For Men – also a time of changing role expectations with much role ambiguity as
they have not had sufficient role models for how they are expected to fulfill new
demands in a gender neutral, egalitarian family life.

Later Middle Years (50-65)

 Experience of the Sandwich generation for many of this age cohort. They are still
raising their own children but also doing the role reversal and caretaking of their
aging parents. Technology contributing to a longer life expectancy for their parents
has contributed to this as well as the trends for their children to remain at home
longer and be financially dependent on parents longer.
 They are also a group that is reacting to economic constraints. They may have
retired early but find the need to return to some kind of work to continue to support
themselves adequately throughout their own longer life expectancy.

Older Years (65 +) - “Mature Adults” is the new politically correct term!
 Old age used to be around 40 years of age, now you aren’t old, old until age 85!
Party on girlfriend!! Because you know we outlive the guys!!! They die off around
age 74. You’ve got a whole other decade to be swing dancing on the Big Joe Polka
Show – see RDTV station – it is a hoot of a show.
 Social Norms as a result of the times include:
o Health the #1 factor in how people feel and function at this age.
o Work continues to be an economic necessity especially for women and
minorities.

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 o Males are more apt to die in their own home with the care of their brides at
their sides, while for women…. More likely to die in the care of secondary
group at a nursing home.
o Societal view of this group??? Are they the wise elders that we respect and
consult or the checkout generation? Has our society written off, so to speak,
this generation as technologically illiterate and “they wouldn’t understand
anyway?’”

I get sad when I think of the social value we grant to the older generations of our society.
Has the economy necessitated our self-involvement to the point that we have no time for
them? Or have we just become younger generations of overindulgent self-gratifiers? That
puts the me over the we even when that includes our own family members. We have the
opportunity to start shaping a better future for ourselves … in the ways that we raise our
children. Food for thought!

Continuing with the sociology of Aging and the areas that focuses on.
3. Demographics of Age in Society and what social consequences that has for all of us.
Demographics refers to distribution of numbers of young, middle age, older age
persons.

Currently, the Baby Boomer generation is primarily middle age, creating a “bubble”
look to the distribution of people along the lines of age in our society. There a relatively
fewer younger persons and relatively fewer older persons, while the bulk of people are in
this 40-65 age range. Between the years 2010 – 2030 the Baby Boomers will be in the age
category of 65-85. So, then the distribution will look more like an incline with the bulk of
them on the right-hand side of that incline.

Causes:

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 The bubble of increased population associated with the Baby Boomer generation
has many contributing factors, although a decrease in fertility post baby boomer generation
is among the largest contributing factors. The average number of children born to a family
went from 6.7 around the turn of the 20th century down to 1.5. The economy changed with
the industrial revolution. Machine power replaced the need for so many laborers.
Economic opportunity became more available outside the home for both genders, coupled
with the invention of the birth control pill and that children were becoming increasingly
economic consumers rather than producers and wha laaa – fewer children were being born.
A few years later, great improvements in health care technology have resulted in lower
mortality for those who have had the benefit of immunizations, preventative health care
and organ transplants. So, life expectancy of those born into the early and mid-1900’s has
risen.

Social Consequences:

Social Security benefits seems to be foremost on people’s minds – will the system
still be solvent after the baby boomer generation depletes its share!?? The gerontic
dependency ratio is defined as the number of persons receiving social security per 100
workers paying into the social security system. Currently the gerontic dependency ration is
20:100, but as the baby boomers progress into retirement, that ratio will increase to be
40:100. Will the workers have to pay more? Or will the retirees get less? Something will
have to give. In the meantime, don’t forget to be putting your own nest egg aside for your
future retirement, especially if you have hopes of retiring early. As life expectancy
continues to increase… the age at which you can draw social security may also increase.
For my age group, this year is now at age 67 rather than the traditional age 65. Check your
social security statement that comes out about twice a year for the calculations that will
impact your future barring any changes to the system. It is amazing to appreciate some of
the changes that will impact us by the time we reach that age. My parents pay about as
much in monthly property tax as they used to pay for a house payment when they first
bought!! The cost of a private nursing home per year is more than I currently make per
year! Ugh – how will I ever save enough to afford my late in life expenses?

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 Other relevant questions include: In what field will jobs be available as this age
group ages? i.e. health care will be one area of great expansion and need. What will
happen to religious institutions and the support the older population gives versus the
involvement and tithing of younger generations? Who will do the jobs after this age group
retires? Will we have sufficient automation to eliminate those jobs, or will we need to rely
upon immigration to fill those positions? Will there be sufficient nursing home or other
institutionalized care facilities to handle this many persons as they become in need of
fulltime care? Do we have cemetery space, or will people have to be cremated? Who will
pay the costs of higher dependency on title 19 and Medicare? What about prison facilities
and aging populations? Who will provide and pay for that population of health care needs?
As the fertility rate continues to decline due to an increasing number of couples who are
choosing to remain childless, the distribution / demographics will continue to impact social
institutions. What will happen to k-12 school enrollments, college enrollments? The
repercussions of population demographics impact every social institution.

4. Ageism = the inequalities and discrimination experienced by virtue of your age.

Certainly, the older population is not the only group that experiences age related
discrimination. I’ve heard it said that it starts relatively early – like age 50 when it comes
to finding a new job. You are too old to be reduced to low wages and you are also
becoming a health care / insurance risk to be hired at this age, and furthermore you may not
be hanging around for enough years to bother training you! On the flip side, when you are
young, you are too young and too inexperienced for the position. So there really is a slight
window of opportunity for you to get some variety of experience and then make your big
move into the career position you really want. Then hang on tight as long-term job security
is rarely a reality.

5. The experience of Aging as a Involuntary Participant – Observation for life.

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 “Covering Up Among the Tiwi” (Henslin, 2010) “The old woman, being too feeble to
care for herself is simply covered up to her neck in dirt and allowed to die by suffocation or
starvation. They “sons” leave their mother alive and return to find her dead having been
too weak to raise herself up from the dirt grave.” It is a cultural custom that may evoke
some ethnocentrism from you. But how do YOU want to be dealt with at the end stage of
life?
I mentioned earlier – aging is one of those social statuses that you (if you are lucky
enough to live so long) will experience each and every one. There is no stopping time….
Tick tock, tick tock. You hear the comments of your aging family… getting old is hell,
each day that you get out of bed without an ache or pain is a blessing. Be happy you’re
young and have your health. Health looms as one of the dominant concerns of the aged. It
is the number one factor that defines their experiences as an older person. Certainly, at
every age, there is some factor that shapes the “experience” as good or less enjoyable. I
hear many say, they would never go back to the teenage years. I hear of grandparents who
are raising their grandchildren due to absent parents… they say, “I’m too old for this but
there were few other options other than adoption.”

What is your stage of life, what are the issues you are grappling with because of your age,
what age stage is or has been the most desirable?

Growing old also differs for Males v. Females. Males moreover tend to experience
an increase in social prestige, respect, and wealth. Their grey hair is seen as a sign of
distinction and status rather than an aging body. Females are more likely to experience
being socially devalued as they age. The childbearing / rearing roles have come to an end,
the media keeps us focused on our youth and all the things that must be done / purchased to
“reduce the signs of aging!” – implicitly saying that aging for women is not desired. Or at
least the look of aging is not!
Women are more likely to shoulder the experience of the sandwich generation as
they age due to gender role expectations.
The life expectancy also plays into the social experience of aging for women v.
men. Women outlive men by 7-8 years. The social trend is to also be a woman married to

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an older man (3-5 years older). So, when the husband dies at average life expectancy of
74-76, the woman may well live on the 7-8 years longer plus the number of years older he
was than she. She may live 10-12 years widowed, with no spouse to help care for her.
Death is more likely, for women, to take place in a nursing home with the care of a
secondary group.
I feel like I should have some awesome thought to leave you with related to age...

“It is not so much as to what happens to us in life, but how we react to it!”

“When your life is altered, alter your life… be willing to adjust your life plan”
Authors unknown

*****End of Mini-lecture on The Sociology of Aging*****

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