SOCIAL GERONTOLOGY TODAY

An Introduction

Chapter 4: Social Perspectives on Aging - Study Questions

1. Explain why theories of aging are useful?

2. Look back at the interviews with Mrs. R. at the beginning of this chapter. Which of the various theories discussed in this chapter best fits her view of her own age? Why?

3. How has membership in your birth cohort affected the number and types of social roles available for you? Your beliefs and attitudes? Do these beliefs and attitudes differ from those of your parents? If so, what sociohistorical factors do you think are related to these differences?

4. Discuss the following statement: "those who control definitions of aging in effect control access to old age benefits such as medical care, as well as the personal and public costs of care and the structure of health care delivery."

5. From what you have read in this chapter, to what extent do you agree with the following statement? Models of aging developed by gerontologists have divorced this work on elders' lives from those doing the living with the result that the elderly become the other; objects rather than subjects of study.

6. How might you integrate the Baltes concept of selective optimization with compensation in your own everyday life activities? give two examples of how you may selectively choose a certain course of action to optimize your progress on something to compensate for an individually or socially perceived limitation. (Hint: Do limitations arising from your personal strengths and weaknesses or your social characteristics, such as birth cohort, gender, social class or race and ethnicity lead you to choose one activity or approach to a problem rather than another?)

7. In 1995, Bob Dole, at age 76, ran for president of the United States and was defeated. To what extent do you think his age was a factor in his defeat?

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