SOC 322: Sociological Aspect Of Adulthood

1440 Words6 Pages
Aging Theories and Research Development SOC 322: Sociological Aspect of Adulthood September 16, 2013 Gerontology is the “study of old age and the process of becoming old.” (Merriam-Webster, 2013) Life cycles are said to be formed by “distinct stages or phase” (Hillier & Barrow, 2011). The stages are from infant to child, adolescence to adult, and parent to grandparent and with each new baby the cycles starts over. There has been years and years of research on aging, articles written and theories made, all on how we age, why we age and the way we act or are supposed to act when we become older. I do not feel that there is just one answer, one way in which the cycle of life plays out. I feel that the way we live in our younger year…show more content…
They focus on being themselves more and less on who they used to be or who they thought they needed to be, “remove their masks” (McCloy, 2009) so to speak. They have less interest in material things and fear death less than they used to or less than what a younger person would. The disengagement theory of aging is pretty much the complete opposite of the activity theory. It claims that the elderly should shut down and separate themselves from the world prepare for death. Although this makes sense to some extent, at what age should this start? With the advances in technology today to ask this of someone in their 60s how long would they be sitting around waiting for death, “20 or more years based on the current U.S. life expectancy of about 79.” (Briseno, 2011) The continuity theory of aging proposes that older adults continue to do the same activities, behave the same and hold on to the relationships that they have from the past, continuing life as they have. This will help them make future decisions providing a stable foundation from the…show more content…
It is an on-going study that was started in 1958. Participants are studied at the National Institute of Aging’s Gerontology Research Center in Baltimore for physical functioning, attention, problem solving, memory and personality every two years for two and a half days. “It is the longest running study of human aging” “the study supports the idea that stress appears to be a key modifier in the extent to which personality continuity takes place.” (Hillier & Barrow 2011) “Every decade has its share of tasks and challenges” (Hillier & Barrow 2011). In young adulthood its finding ones identity, dealing with separation and learning to be on their own. In middle age it is possibly finding one’s identity all over again or having the time of your life in your prime, in late life its loss, illness and your body not being what it used to be. These tasks and challenges do not have to be all bad, if you think positive and life an active and fulfilling life and teach your children to not fear old age and to take it all one day at a
Open Document