Compare and contrast the functionalist, conflict/feminist, and interactionist explanations for social problems or issues associated with aging. Which do you find most convincing and why?
What will be an ideal response?
Varies. Students should mention that functionalists emphasize the importance of entering and exiting age-specific roles and statuses over the life course, believing that each status helps maintain social stability. Functionalists view disengagement as a natural process of withdrawing from society. Conflict/feminist theorists, on the other hand, emphasize the importance of the connection to the labor force and show that elderly have least power in society because of their lack of connection to it. They also point out how older people can be left behind in the workforce through the modernization of aging theory. Feminists point out that women are disadvantaged in the aging process more than are men, pointing to the double standards of aging. Interactionists, on the other hand emphasize that our age-related roles are socially defined and expected and look at problems with the definitions on aging which are stigmatizing and ageist.
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What will be an ideal response?
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