Title: Chapter 13. Aging and the Elderly – Introduction to Sociology – 1st Canadian Edition
Headings: Chapter 13. Aging and the Elderly
Chapter 13. Aging and the Elderly
Learning Objectives
13.1. Who Are the Elderly? Aging in Society
13.2. The Process of Aging
13.3. Challenges Facing the Elderly
Introduction to Aging and the Elderly
13.1. >Who Are the Elderly? Aging in Society
Studying Aging Populations
Phases of Aging: The Young-Old, Middle-Old, and Old-Old
The Greying of Canada
Baby Boomers
Aging around the World
13.2. The Process of Aging
Making Connections: Biological Research
Dr. Ignatz Nascher and the Birth of Geriatrics
Biological Changes
Social and Psychological Changes
Aging and Sexuality
Making Connections: Social Policy & Debate
Aging “Out:” LGBT Seniors
Death and Dying
13.3. Challenges Facing the Elderly
Ageism
Mistreatment and Abuse
13.4. Theoretical Perspectives on Aging
Functionalism
Making Connections: Sociological Research
The Greying of North American Prisons
Critical Sociology
Symbolic Interactionism
Key Terms
Section Summary
Section Quiz
Short Answer
13.1. Who Are the Elderly? Aging in Society
13.2. The Process of Aging
13.3. Challenges Facing the Elderly
13.4. Theoretical Perspectives on Aging
Further Research
References
Solutions to Section Quiz
Image Attribution

Content: In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many U.S. households were home to multigenerational families, and the experiences and wisdom of elders was respected. They offered wisdom and support to their children and often helped raise their grandchildren (Sweetser 1984). Today, with most households confined to the nuclear family, attitudes toward the elderly have changed. In 2011, of the 13,320,615 private households in the country, only about 400,000 of them (3.1 percent) were multigenerational (Statistics Canada 2012b). It is no longer typical for older relatives to live with their children and grandchildren. Attitudes toward the elderly have also been affected by large societal changes that have happened over the past 100 years. Researchers believe industrialization and modernization have contributed greatly to lowering the power, influence, and prestige the elderly once held. The elderly have both benefitted and suffered from these rapid social changes. In modern societies, a strong economy created new levels of prosperity for many people. Health care has become more widely accessible and medicine has advanced, allowing the elderly to live longer.