Title: Theoretical Perspectives on Aging | Introduction to Sociology
Headings: Theoretical Perspectives on Aging
Theoretical Perspectives on Aging
Learning Objectives
Functionalism
The Graying of American Prisons
Conflict Perspective
Symbolic Interactionism
Summary
Question #1
Short Answer
Glossary
activity theory
age stratification theory
continuity theory
disengagement theory
exchange theory
gerotranscendence
modernization theory
selective optimization with compensation theory
subculture of aging theory
Further Research
References

Content: While there is more care available to certain segments of the senior community, it must be noted that the financial resources available to the aging can vary tremendously by race, social class, and gender. There are three classic theories of aging within the conflict perspective. Modernization theory (Cowgill and Holmes 1972) suggests that the primary cause of the elderly losing power and influence in society are the parallel forces of industrialization and modernization. As societies modernize, the status of elders decreases, and they are increasingly likely to experience social exclusion. Before industrialization, strong social norms bound the younger generation to care for the older. Now, as societies industrialize, the nuclear family replaces the extended family. Societies become increasingly individualistic, and norms regarding the care of older people change. In an individualistic industrial society, caring for an elderly relative is seen as a voluntary obligation that may be ignored without fear of social censure. The central reasoning of modernization theory is that as long as the extended family is the standard family, as in preindustrial economies, elders will have a place in society and a clearly defined role. As societies modernize, the elderly, unable to work outside of the home, have less to offer economically and are seen as a burden.