Sociological Aging Essay
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Sociological AgingAging is a natural process of life that, with the exception of premature death, all individuals must face. At some point in life, one must realize that his or her life has shifted from what it once was. Physical appearances change, with muscularity and physical strength diminishing. Family size changes with the both the deaths of some members and the births of new members. Social life changes, with desires to enjoy one’s own company becoming more dominant. Though these changes should be representative of a life well lived, many individuals fear becoming older, due to the negative connotations placed upon aging.“Sociologists have termed the homogenization of older people into one category through the use of language and discourse as ‘ageism’. This means imposing negative stereotyping onto people on the sole basis of their age” (Hayes, 2014, p. 239). According Timmermann (2017), ageism occurs in society in the even the most subtle forms, such as assuming older individuals prefer not to use modern technology, expecting older individuals as being incapable of making …show more content…
Plikuhn, Niehaus, and Reeves (2014) state that stereotypes on aging form early in childhood and are enhanced during adulthood by the negative images of aging found in daily life. Timmermann (2017) notes that two essential stereotypes of old people exist: the belief that older people are weak, frail, and dependent individuals incapable of caring for themselves and the belief that there are some individuals who are “exceptions to the rule” in that they remain physically fit, healthy, and engaged in society (p. 37). With the image of old meaning incapable promoted, it is easy to see how ageism forms as a result. In order to understand society’s negative perceptions of older people, it is important to understand the sociological theories pitched to provide insight on
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of 5
ZOOM
Sociological AgingAging is a natural process of life that, with the exception of premature death, all individuals must face. At some point in life, one must realize that his or her life has shifted from what it once was. Physical appearances change, with muscularity and physical strength diminishing. Family size changes with the both the deaths of some members and the births of new members. Social life changes, with desires to enjoy one’s own company becoming more dominant. Though these changes should be representative of a life well lived, many individuals fear becoming older, due to the negative connotations placed upon aging.“Sociologists have termed the homogenization of older people into one category through the use of language and discourse as ‘ageism’. This means imposing negative stereotyping onto people on the sole basis of their age” (Hayes, 2014, p. 239). According Timmermann (2017), ageism occurs in society in the even the most subtle forms, such as assuming older individuals prefer not to use modern technology, expecting older individuals as being incapable of making …show more content…
Plikuhn, Niehaus, and Reeves (2014) state that stereotypes on aging form early in childhood and are enhanced during adulthood by the negative images of aging found in daily life. Timmermann (2017) notes that two essential stereotypes of old people exist: the belief that older people are weak, frail, and dependent individuals incapable of caring for themselves and the belief that there are some individuals who are “exceptions to the rule” in that they remain physically fit, healthy, and engaged in society (p. 37). With the image of old meaning incapable promoted, it is easy to see how ageism forms as a result. In order to understand society’s negative perceptions of older people, it is important to understand the sociological theories pitched to provide insight on