Unit 4 Development Through the Life Stages

1377 Words6 Pages
Unit Four – Development through the life stages P4 and M2 – Explain two theories of ageing in relation to two individuals There are many theories on the process of ageing; the three major theories are the disengagement theory, the activity theory and the continuity theory. the two I’m focusing on are the Disengagement Theory wrote by Cumming and Henry in 1961. Their theory of ageing states that aging is an inevitable process that results in the decreased amount of interaction between the ageing person and those they use to interact with. In the theory they claim that it is a natural and acceptable form of behaviour for those who are older and in their final stages of life to withdraw from society. The theory comes from the book Growing Old, a book which was wrote by Cumming and Henry, and was the first theory of aging that was developed. (www.wikipedia.com) They believed that older people will naturally withdraw from society for their own reasons; many believe that it is because on their own they don’t have to deal with the stress of people they know dying. They stated that the older generations will withdraw from society either because of ill health of a lack of resources allowing them to either travel to see friends and family or simply contact them. This theory fits in with the springboard effect. Basically your life begins with you being born, or stood on the springboard, then as you take off, entering your teens and young adulthood, your physical and mental peak 20-40 and then as your descend from your jump is the ending to your life, as you approach old age and ultimately death. Many have criticised this theory saying that many older people stay fully engaged in society, having full social calendars and meeting friends and family on a regular basis. Not all older people are socially isolated, as little as 2 in every 100 have fully disengaged

More about Unit 4 Development Through the Life Stages

Open Document