Title: 12.3 Sociological Perspectives on Aging – Sociology
Headings: 12.3 Sociological Perspectives on Aging
12.3 Sociological Perspectives on Aging
Learning Objectives
Key Takeaways
References

Content: According to this view, older workers are devalued because they are no longer economically productive and because their higher salaries (because of their job seniority), health benefits, and other costs drive down capitalist profits. Conflict theory also emphasizes inequality among the aged along gender, race/ethnicity, and social class lines. Reflecting these inequalities in the larger society, some elders are quite wealthy, but others are very poor. One criticism of conflict theory is that it blames ageism on modern, capitalist economies. As we have seen, negative views of the elderly also exist in preindustrial societies, even if the views there overall are often more positive than in their modern counterparts. Key Takeaways
Disengagement theory assumes that all societies must find ways for older people’s authority to give way to younger people. A society thus encourages its elderly to disengage from their previous roles and to take on roles more appropriate to their physical and mental decline. Activity theory assumes that older people will benefit both themselves and their society if they remain active and try to continue to perform the roles they had before they aged. References
Cumming, E., & Henry, W. E. (1961). Growing old: