Theories of Age Inequality
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- Created on: 05-02-16 09:45
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- Theories of Age Inequality
- Functionalism
- Parsons: Social cohesion is based on age groups knowing their places and roles
- Cummings & Henry: Older people need to disengage from the workforce to make way for younger ones, this refreshes society
- The position of the elderly has improved with a statutory retirement age and state pension, but they lose status and power as their children leave home and they retire
- Eisenstadt: Children have less status than adults; they must be taught these roles
- Children must be socialised into adult roles
- Postmodernism
- Children are encouraged by the media to take on adult behaviour
- Fetherstone & Hepworth: There is constant pressure from the media to stay young and delay ageing, called the 'mask of ageing'
- Milne: Wealthier retired people have 'grey power' and they are conspicuous consumers
- Social significance of age is changing, age groups are diverse and fragmented and boundries are becoming blurred
- Feminism
- Oakley: Inequalities experienced by children are linked to those of women and the patriarchal nature of society
- Cannon: Older women are materially deprived compared to men as a result of the gender pay gap and time out of employment
- Children are controlled by adults in relation to when they start education/ work, where they play, use of time, and some are controlled by abuse and neglect
- Marxism
- Inadequate state pension leads to some people being on benefits
- Young people without skills and retired people form a reserve army of labour, both have little power and are easy to hire and fire
- Phillipson: Capitalism needs people to be useful in terms of 'labour power' it doesn't want people on benefits
- Elderly have less disposable income and so do not produce or consume
- Functionalism
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