Perspective on Aging IV: Social Psychological Aspects of Aging

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Perspective on Aging IV Social Psychological
Aspects of Aging

• Suzanna Waters Castillo, PhD
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
• scastillo_at_dcs.wisc.edu

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When do we become old? Discussion Topic

• How does a society decide when old age begins?

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Social Theories on Aging

• Social theories and concepts about aging are
  multiple lenses used to better understand how we
  age.
• Social theories on aging examine the relationship
  between individual experiences and social
  institutions e.g., aging and retirement aging
  and institutional care aging and government
  policy etc.
• All have limitations, and some can be considered
  more than others when attempting to understand
  social changes in aging.

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Social Theories on Aging
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Social Theories of Aging

• Role Theory Our place in society
• Criticism
• There is great variation in terms of how older
  persons manage their aging experience.
• Older people are not simply adrift in a sea of
  anomie, but continue to grow, find meaning, learn
  and participate.
• Not all cohort members experience a role-less
  role that persists through aging.

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Social Theories of Aging

• Role Theory (Rosow)
• The hypothesis Our roles define who we are,
  determine our self concept and affect our
  behavior
• Roles become more vague with aging and therefore
  there is a decrease in self concept.
• Because people are not socialized to ageing, this
  results in role loss and uncertainty accompany
  the aging

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Social Theories of Aging

• Activity Theory Engagement (Havinghurst)
• Activity theory is a widely supported opposing
  theory to disengagement in old age.
• This theory argues that actively engaged older
  persons have greater life satisfaction
• Empirical research has found more support for
  activity theory than disengagement theory.

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Social Theories of Aging

• Activity Theory Engagement
• Life long patterns of interaction, health,
  personality, work, influence activity level in
  aging.
• Family, gender, education, sex and occupational
  background influence activity level in aging.
• Most important is to understand the source of
  disengagement i.e., voluntary or involuntary
  i.e., reversible or irreversible.

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Social Theories of Aging

• Disengagement Theory (Henry and Cumming)
• Hypothesis is because of inevitable declines
  with age, people become decreasingly involved
  with the outer world and become more interior in
  anticipation of death.
• One positive is that it sets up the transition of
  power from old to young.

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Social Theories of Aging

• Disengagement Theory
• Criticism
• This perspective did not explain the variation,
  creativity and types of activity that many
  elderly experience during aging.
• It also did not address the severe distress
  experienced by those elderly forced to withdraw
  from social contact.

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Social Theories on Aging

• Continuity Theory
• As persons age they maintain a consistent pattern
  of behaviors and adapt in ways that are
  consistent with past behaviors
• Life satisfaction is determined by how consistent
  current behaviors are with those of ones
  lifetime experiences
• (Atchley, 1972, Havinghurst, and Tobin, 1968)

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Social Theories on Aging

• Continuity Theory
• The hypothesis is central personality traits
  become more pronounced with age or
• they are retained without many changes
• People are more likely to age successfully if
  they maintain their preferred roles and methods
  of adapting to lifes changes

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Social Theories of Aging

• Modernization Theory An early perspective
  (Durkeim and Weber)
• Identifies 4 factors that stimulated economic
  advancement.
• Urbanization
• Mass education
• Technological changes and improvement
• Advances in growth in economic production

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Social Theories of Aging

• Modernization Theory Loss of power
• As a consequence of this advancement the argument
  states that in traditional societies elderly
  played active and vital roles while in modern
  industrial societies elderly lost position,
  status and power.
• With post modernism and related social changes
  other theories are more important in
  understanding the role of elderly as a group.

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Social Theories on Aging

• Modernization Theory Loss of power
• Modernization has resulted in a decline in small,
  socially cohesive, traditional communities.
• Individualization vs group support weakens the
  position of elderly.
• Modernization stimulates diversification in
  beliefs.

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Social Theories on Aging

• Modernization Theory Limitations
• Most useful in understanding a specific time
  period during which societal beliefs about
  production of goods and family participation in
  the distribution of income changed thus shifting
  the role that elders played in maintaining and
  supporting the family and societys economic
  vitality. Atchley (1993) contends that
  Modernization Theory is most useful in
  understanding social change prior to WWII.

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Case Study Exercise

• Review the early (pre 1961-70s) social theories
  on aging and identify why theories might be
  expressed in this particular case study.

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Role, Activity, Modernization, Disengagement,
Continuity Which apply?

• Mrs. Marta Rau came to the US in the early 1920s
  with her family. She was a midwife in eastern
  Germany and came from a middle class family. Her
  father was a doctor and mother a school teacher.
  Establishing a livelihood was difficult in the US
  for her husband. He went to work in the copper
  mines of northern Minnesota and she worked as a
  midwife while raising the 6 children and a small
  farm. Although she had studied nursing in her
  homeland and was a bright woman the fact that her
  English was broken and that their income in the
  US was small, she struggled socially and
  economically. As an older woman, she came to
  live with her daughter and son who ran a family
  grocery. Marta helped in the store, cooked and
  helped with her grandchildren. She maintained a
  strong sense of her ethnicity and taught her
  children to speak German and Polish. However,
  she felt angry and frustrated with the small
  community where she lived because there were
  social circles she could never enter. Her entire
  focus became her daughters family and business.
  She worked long hours and enjoyed stocking
  shelves and cleaning. Although she was proud to
  be an American, she never felt that the younger
  members of the village acknowleged her as an
  American and that they were rude, without taste
  and too modern. Even now, she continues to work
  in the store, but has become increasingly angry
  at the people areound her and will not even talk
  to customers who go to the store. She has become
  more traditional in her values of her culture of
  origin and also more isolated. She had always
  been vivacious.

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Social Theories on Aging

• Symbolic Interactionism
• Hypothesis is interactions of factors like
  environment, relationship with others can affect
  how people experience aging.
• Emphasis is on reciprocity with the social and
  physical world as a measure of how we age.
• Self concept is affected by how people interact
  within their social world i.e., define us and
  react to us.
• Can you give a case example of the above theory?

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Case Study Symbolic Interaction

• State
• Age, gender, social economic status, family,
  education, former occupation, immediate living
  environment, cultural factors, psychological
  status, health status, relationship with micro
  and macro community etc.
• Case Example

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Social Theories on Aging

• Age Stratification Theory
• This is a move away from the individual with a
  focus on understanding groups of older persons
• Examination of the relationship between older
  people and historical events in their lives.
• Focus on structural, demographic and historical
  characteristics tell us how different age groups
  respond to social change.

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Social Theories on Aging

• Social Exchange Theory
• Hypothesis is individual status is defined by
  the balance between the contributions that people
  make to society and the costs to support them.
• Variables that impact what society defines as
  contribution are affected by age, gender,
  social class, education and ethnicity.
• Can you given a case example of the above theory?

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Case Study Social Exchange Theory

• State the social economic status including income
  level, employment, educational attainment,
  culture/ethnicity and how these factors were
  viewed as contributing to society before and
  after retirement.
• Before retirement
• After retirement

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Social Theories on Aging

• Political Economy of Age
• Hypothesis is Social class and the economic
  infrastructure detrermine ones access to
  resources.
• The dominant group in a society tries to hold on
  to their position by perpetuating inequalities.
• Lack of social infrastructure support for elderly
  of lower social economic status.
• Can you think of a case example that reflects the
  above theoritcal perspective on aging?

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Social Theories on Aging

• Life Course
• The hypothesis is The aging experience is
  shaped by multiple, complex forces i.e., history,
  cultural meanings, socio economic status, cohort
  group, social contexts.
• There is a diversity of role and role changes
  across the life span which are very dynamic and
  multidirectional.
• From beginning to end of life we develop and
  change.

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Social Theories on Aging

• Social Phenominology and Social Constructionists
• The hypothesis is Each one of us construct our
  own social experience and reality.
• Thus the reality of aging is subject to change
  in definition depending on who is doing the
  defining.
• Give an example of the above theory as it
  pertains to an individual older persons
  experience of life.

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Social Theories on Aging

• Feminist Perspective
• The hypothesis is The experiences of women are
  often ignored in understanding the human
  condition.
• Research that supports womens experience in
  aging especially those conditions which have the
  greatest impact on the lives of women.
• Why is the feminist perspective important as a
  social theory of aging?

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Social Theories of Aging

• Social Justice Theory An alternative
• Identifies the type of support elderly are
  entitled to by virtue of their contribution
  related sacrifices/responsibilities made on
  behalf of society.
• Argues that the process of modernization cost the
  elderly as a social category and that programs
  developed to return their status to them are
  based on social justice theory.
• What are some examples of social policy in aging
  that is based on the social justice theoretical
  perspective?

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Social Theories of Aging

• Social Justice Theory An alternative
• This perspectives offers a more pragmatic
  explanation of how older people were identified
  as a social category needing support and
  assistance.
• Social Justice Theory (just due theory)
• Does not focus on what elderly contribute or the
  position they hold.
• Focus is on the contribution that elderly have
  made to society over a lifetime.

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Social Theories of Aging

• Discussion Activity
• Identify at least 5 essential roles and related
  activities that are at the core of your life at
  this period in time.
• Identify how these 5 roles and activities will
  change for you at age 65, and at age 80.
• Use attached handout.

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Discussion Worksheet

• Age now Roles Age now Activities
• Age 65 Roles Age 65 Activities
• Age 80 Roles Age 80 Activities

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Discussion
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Social Psychological Aspects of Aging
Psychological Development

• Psychological Development
• Normal Cognitive Changes
• Adult Development Theories
• Personality and Self
• Stage Theories
• Erickson
• Levinson
• Process Theories
• Life Span Development

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Social Psychological Aspects of Aging
Psychological Development

• Normal Cognitive Changes
• Life long abilities stay in place and changes
  only occur for those abilities that are not at
  the core of the persons life skills.
• Crystallized memory stays in place and supports
  intellectual function.
• Major changes in intellectual functioning occur
  only late in life and usually not before age 60.

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Social Psychological Aspects of Aging
Psychological Development

• Normal Cognitive Changes
• The major change is a slowing of the cognitive
  process i.e., problem solving etc.
• This is due to age related changes in the CNS and
  Sensory System.
• Older adults will need more time to complete
  physical and mental tasks.

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Social Psychological Aspects of Aging
Psychological Development

• Adult Development Theories Stage Theories
• Ericksons Life Stage Development theory examines
  the patterns and structure of life at different
  stages (1963).
• Ericksons stages are both incremental and
  contingent.
• Old age presents a range of identity that is
  characterized as something between ego integrity
  and despair.
• Ego integrity involves positive meaning given to
  the good and the bad that has occurred in ones
  life.

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Social Psychological Aspects of Aging
Psychological Development

• Adult Development Theories Stage Theories
• Theory expansion
• Later work of Kivnick and Erickson (1986) showed
  that degrees of both conditions co exist ( p. 71)
• and the challenge is to learn how to
  manage/balance experiences of despair and ego
  integration as one ages.
• Theory is most useful as a perspective rather
  than as an indicator of scientific validity.

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Exercise

• Life Strengths Inventory
• Work of Helen Kivnick that applies Ericksons
  life stages to the interviewing process.
• Review domains of Life Strength Inventory.
• (see p. 75)

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Social Psychological Aspects of Aging
Psychological Development

• Adult Development Theories Stage Theories
• Daniel Levinson(1990) argues that the adult life
  cycle is constructed of sequential eras which are
  cyclical.
• Each era is age specific and includes
• Structure building i.e., refinement and
  maintenance
• Structure changing
• Marriage, family and occupation are the focal
  point of adult life structure, particularly in
  the late life era.
• Life structure is inherently unstable due to
  nature of life.

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Social Psychological Aspects of Aging
Psychological Development

• Adult Development Theories Stage Theories
• Levinson argues that there are 3 developmental
  tasks that occur in each era before entering
  another
• Terminate previous life structure
• Develop concept of self appropriate to new era
• Initiate the new life era

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Social Psychological Aspects of Aging
Psychological Development

• Adult Development Theories Stage Theories
• The utility of Levinsons life cycle theory is
  that it provides clues about important life cycle
  changes and how those occur.
• Weakness is that many adults do not follow
  Levinsons cycle categories.
• Many psychologists argue that adult development
  does not involve discrete stages and is not
  cyclical, but is a process occurring between the
  individual and the environment. (Riegel 1976).

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Break
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Social Psychological Aspects of Aging
Psychological Development

• Process Theories Life Span Development
• This is a perspective about how humans age
  psychologically and includes cognition,
  intellectual function, personality and emotion.
• Life span development approach considers the
  complex process of a lifetime of developmental
  stages throughout the life of the human organism.
• This perspective argues that psychological
  development takes place throughout life including
  old age.

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Social Psychological Aspects of Aging
Psychological Development

• Process Theories Personality and Self
• Personality is characterized by what an
  individual says and does relative to their innate
  nature and response to the environment.
• Multiple theories abound however studies that
  have examined the inner dimensions of personality
  indicate that
• Personality continues to develop throughout life
  and is considered to be one of continuity in
  healthy individuals.
• There is no radical change in personality with
  healthy individuals that occurs with aging.

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Social Psychological Aspects of Aging
Psychological Development

• Life Span Development Personality and Self
• Self (the me and I) can be viewed as 4
  components
• Self concept (what we think we are like).
• Ideal self (what we think we ought to be).
• Self evaluation (moral evaluation of whether we
  are living up to certain standards).
• Self- esteem (whether we like or accept
  ourselves).

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Social Psychological Aspects of Aging
Psychological Development

• Adult Development Theories Personality and Self
• At mid life we have a lot of information about
  ourselves
• As individuals age one is capable of avoiding
  roles that do not suit us.
• As time goes by one develops a clear idea about
  the self.
• Self acceptance increases with age which occurs
  in the majority of older adults and over time
  older adults indicate that they know themselves
  better than anyone else.
• (Atchley 1994).

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Case Study Exercise Social Psychological
Theories

• See Case Study of Mr. Sam Levine on pg. 122
• Read carefully and with your collegue, please
  answer the questions at the bottom of the page.

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Break
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Quality of Life What matters in aging

• Self worth, sense of place/value in the world
• Independence and freedom
• Physical and functional health
• Optimistic attitudes
• Peaceful mind
• Dignity and respect
• Companionship
• Leisure and hobbies
• Being able to help/contribute
• Happy family life and harmonious relationships
• Children enjoying a good life and their positive
  relationship
• Harmonious relationshp with spouse
• Economic safety
• Good medical and dental care

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Quality of Life Indicators

• How might the QOL indicators vary by social class
  and ethnicity?

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Social Psychological Aspects of Aging Personal
Adaptation

• Adaptation is the ability to adjust to fit a
  situation or environment which serves the purpose
  of
• Life satisfaction
• Maintenance
• Renewal
• Completion
• Reinforcement of Self
• Survival

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Social Psychological Aspects of Aging Personal
Adaptation

• Specific Adaptation in Aging
• Adapting to less income
• Adapting to increasing dependency
• Adapting to lost roles and/or activities
• Coping with threats to self esteem or self concept

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Social Psychological Aspects of Aging Personal
Adaptation

• Effective Adaptation No consensus on how to
  define and there are many possible outcomes.
• Life Satisfaction is one of the most frequently
  used indicators of effective adaptation.
• Life Satisfaction Scale (Havinghurst, 1963)
• The Good Life (Lawton, 1983)

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Social Psychological Aspects of Aging Personal
Adaptation

• Life Satisfaction Scale (Havinghurst, 1963)
• Zest
• Resolution and Fortitude
• Completion
• Self-esteem
• Optimistic Outlook

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Social Psychological Aspects of Aging Personal
Adaptation

• Life is Good
• Behavioral competency
• Psychological well being
• Perceived quality of life
• Positive environment
• Day (1991) argued that this approach denies
  effective adaptation to those with chronic
  illness and other problems.
• Positive attitude the key determinant (Day 1991)

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Social Psychological Aspects of Aging Personal
Adaptation

• Other aspects of adaptation
• Continuity
• Internal- ideas and memory
• Pressures come from points of reference that will
  allow us to anticipate our response to life
  challenges.
• External- environment and people
• Pressures come from environmental reinforcement
  and related role demands.

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Social Psychological Aspects of Aging Personal
Adaptation

• Other aspects of adaptation
• Compensation
• Part of accommodation which allows us to take
  actions that offset losses.
• Compensation takes place for
• Social
• Physical
• Emotional
• Financial etc. losses

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Social Psychological Aspects of Aging Personal
Adaptation

• Other aspects of adaptation
• Substitution
• This involves replacement of lost roles,
  experiences, activities and everything.
• What are several examples of substitution among
  the elderly?
• Can any be inappropriate?

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Social Psychological Aspects of Aging Personal
Adaptation

• Other aspects of adaptation
• Consolidation
• This involves redistribution of time, energy,
  financial resources, emotional commitments to
  remaining roles.
• How and when might consolidation be difficult for
  some older persons?

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Social Psychological Aspects of Aging Personal
Adaptation

• Other aspects of adaptation
• Managing threats to self identity and self esteem
• Defense mechanisms such as selective perception,
  selective memory and selective interaction are
  defense mechanisms used to support ones positive
  sense of self.

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Social Psychological Aspects of Aging Personal
Adaptation

• Other aspects of adaptation
• Competency and capability
• Mental and physical
• Relative appreciation
• This is a coping strategy that allows one to
  compare oneself to another or a group of others
  that provides a positive sense of self.

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Successful Aging

• A counter point to societys negative views of
  aging.
• Various quality of life studies that identify
  what contributes to successful aging also imply
  lifestyle choices.
• Some research indicates that successful aging is
  relative to the individuals own perspective of
  whether they are well elderly or frail.

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Productive Aging

• Productivity is more than paid work and includes
  any activity that produces goods and services
  whether paid or volunteer, training experience
  and skill development.
• Activity Theory
• Symbolic Interaction (person with environment)

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Exercise

• When you are 75, what will be the activities,
  events, relationships for you that will define
  successful aging?
• Will you be productive at this time in your life
  and if so how?

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Case Study

• What types of adaptation are present in Ed
  Harriss life?
• Why was he successful in adapting to change
  through out his life?
• Consider continuity theory, Ericksons life
  stages etc.
• How can knowledge of the process theories of
  aging facilitate your work in gerontology?

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Discussion
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Your Notes