HOW CAN SOCIOLOGY CONTRIBUTE TO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF AGEING
...1906 and 1985 a man can now expect to live another 13 years, however a woman can expect to live another 17 years. Such sex ratios as age increases highlights the feminisation of later life, the gender structure of the population in 1991 was 123 women aged 65-74 to each hundred men in the same age range, this figure rises further to 289 women aged 85 or over to each hundred men 85 or over (Bond et al, 1993). This imbalance in the number of older men and women has a number of consequences in terms of marital status and living arrangements. Due to the increases in longevity and the tendency of men to marry women younger than themselves, women are more likely to experience widowhood. Furthermore fewer women than men remarry following widowhood or divorce, resulting in more women 65 and over than men of the same age range living alone (Bond et al, 1993). Sociologists and other academics have tried to explain the reasons behind the increases in what has recently been known as the ‘third age’ and the imbalance in the gender structure of our ageing population. One reason given for the increase in life expectancy for women than men is socialisation and the fact that women are more likely to go to the doctor when sick or admit to stress and depression, were men don’t like to admit to weakness; furthermore men are involved in more stressful and physical occupation than women (Tinker, 1997). However gender socialisation can vary between societies, nonetheless all ageing populations in developed countries worldwide reflect this sex disparity. Furthermore females not only out live males in human species but also in other species such as spiders, rats, fish and fruit flies. Therefore there is strong evidence that the differences in life expectancy between male and females may be due to biological factors (Harris, 1990). One theory which attempts to explain the longer life of females in genetic terms, suggests it’s a females additional X chromosome which gives them an advantage over males. In addition females are believed to have a better immunisation system against disease than males (Rockstein & Sussman, 1979). Another theory believed to be the reason behind the large numbers of older people in contemporary society is the effect of Baby booms after two world wars, and the reduction in child morality rates which reflected improvements in public health and medical advances in the prevention of many fatal infectious diseases in childhood. Furthermore increases in the life expectancy of older people reflects improvements in the quality of life in the 2nd half of the 20th Century due to medical advancements, nutritional education and all round healthier lifestyles (Biggs, 1993). Conversely the long-term downward trend in the birth rates in reflection to the increased numbers of elderly people in society has made the proportion of economically inactive citizens dependent on state and health services unequal to those economically active (in paid employment). For example there aren’t enough people of working age (paying taxes) to support those during benefits, placing a drain on government resources. Unfortunately these unequal numbers have depict ‘old age’ as a social problem and a major concern for policy makers and health and service planners who have referred to this sector of the population using terms as ‘disaster’, ‘burden’, ‘rising tide’ and impending crisis’ (MacIntyre, 1977) Consequently negative attitudes towards old age depict by government and in the media, which is due to elderly peoples dependency on medical and social services have support ageist attitudes. Ageism is when elderly people our discriminated against due to their age. Ageist attitudes persist due to generalisation and stereotypes of elderly people. Abercrombie & Warde refer to elderly people as ‘Economic burden’s of dependency’ quoting “They take up a disproportionate share of health and social security resources while also being a non-earning sector of the population thus dependent on those at work”. (Abercrombie & Warde, 1994: 285) Furthermore although the ageing population has increased due to medical advancements, so has the number of ageing illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, which subsequently means increased dependency on state resources for their care. However due to Government unable to cope with increased demands on state services, Enoch Powell closed many care homes in a pledge to return responsibility of elderly care back to the family. Unfortunately due to many old people being dependent on state pensions many live in poverty and with families being fragmented with little contact many also live in isolation and fear, making them vulnerable. Furthermore due to increases in elderly diseases therefore increased numbers in institutional care or being placed back in the community, many old people are vulnerable to abuse from stressed out family members usually daughters unable to cope with the added pressures an financial drain caring for an elderly parent brings. After studying statistics and present literature on ageing in order to assess how sociology contributes to our understanding of ageing many ...