Describe the theory of disengagement and the theory of societal disengagement

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

In 1961, Elaine Cumming and William E. Henry coined the term "disengagement" to refer to a process whereby people respond to aging by gradually withdrawing from the various roles and social relationships they occupied in middle age. Such disengagement is claimed to be functional for the individual because he or she is thought to gradually lose the energy and vitality to sustain all the roles and social relationships held in younger years. Disengagement theory hypothesizes a mutual disengagement or withdrawal between the individual and society. Research has found that some people undeniably do voluntarily disengage as they grow older. Yet disengagement is neither a universal nor an inevitable response to aging. Disengagement theory may, at best, be merely a description of the problems we must confront as we try to combat ageism.
The term "societal disengagement" has been coined to refer to the process whereby society withdraws from the aging person. It is allegedly functional for our society-which values efficiency, competition, and individual achievement-to disengage from older adults, who have the least physical stamina and the highest death rate. Societal disengagement occurs in a variety of ways: Older people may not be sought out for leadership positions in organizations, their employers may try to force them to retire, their children may no longer want them involved in making family decisions, and the government may be more responsive to meeting the needs of people who are younger. Actually, societal disengagement is often unintended and unrecognized by society. Many older people do not handle forced role losses well. Some even try to escape with alcohol, drugs, or suicide. A severe criticism of societal disengagement theory is that it can be used to justify both ageism and society's failure to help older adults maintain meaningful roles.?