3. AGE AND TRADITIONAL PRE-
INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES
People often do not have a precise age because their births are not registered.
They may not celebrate birthdays
Age identity goes through 3 stages:
Children
Adults
Elders
Explain further each of the three stages.
4. AGE AND MODERN INDUSTRIAL
SOCIETIES
All births have to be registered by law
Birthdays are celebrated
Bradley (1996) identifies five generational major stages in age identity in the
UK:
Childhood
Adolescence or youth
Young adulthood
Mid-life
Old age
5. CHILDHOOD
In this stage children are supposed to be protected by
their parents and other adults. This has been
confirmed by the introduction of various Children
Acts, as well as legislation relating to the education
of children and the age of criminal responsibility of
a child.
Childhood is a social construct. Aries (1962) argues
that the experience of a child has changed over the
last 500 years. – What changes can you think of ?
Read Neil Postman’s (1982) study ‘Is childhood
disappearing?’ and write a summary of this – To
what extent to you believe that childhood is
disappearing? What evidence can you use to
support your view?
6. ADOLESCENCE OR YOUTH
Until the 1960s, adulthood in the UK was celebrated at 21 years, but since
then, 18 years has become more common. This is because 18 is the legal
adulthood age when a person is able to vote, marry, leave home without
parental consent and sit on a jury.
7. ADOLESCENCE OR YOUTH
In the 1950s adolescence or youth was recognised as a unique age
group!
What major changes have occurred since WW2 that has led
to this distinction?
8. ADOLESCENCE OR YOUTH
Remember the mods and rockers?
Stanley Cohen (1980) was the first sociologist to observe how newspapers
sensationalised and exaggerated the behaviour of groups of young people in
order to create newsworthiness and sell papers. Youth were demonised.
This would then lead to a moral panic. The youth had become the ‘folk
devils’. Youth are seen as a SOCIAL PROBLEM.
9. ADOLESCENCE OR YOUTH
Teddy boys
Is this generation gap implied (1950s)
by moral panics exaggerated?
Little evidence to suggest that
what youth value is different to
the values of their parents! Mods and
Rockers
(1960s)
Very few young people get
involved in:
Punks (late
Skinheads 1970s)
(early 1970s)
10. YOUNG ADULTHOOD
This is the age group between leaving home and middle age.
There has been little research into this group.
Jones and Wallace (1992) – ‘Private markers’ (e.g. first sexual
encounter) and ‘public markers’ (e.g. the right to vote) signify
the beginning of adult status.
How do Pilcher and Hockey & James view adult identity?
What common themes can you find?
11. MID-LIFE
When do you think middle-age begins???
Brookes-Gunn and Kirsch (1984) say 35 years.
Others have argued 50 years.
What are the physical indicators of middle age?
What are the social indicators?
12. OLD AGE
When is someone considered old aged?
Officially and legally begins at 65 years in the UK when people
are expected to retire from paid work and they can receive their
state pensions.
Pilcher argues we should distinguish between the young old (65-
74 years) and the ‘old old’ (85+ years)
How has the status / treatment of the elderly in the UK
changed with modernity? What impact can this have on
their wellbeing?
13. AGE AND DISCRIMINATION
Ageism – discrimination and prejudice on the basis of age
Johnson and Bytheway (1993) define ageism as the ‘offensive
exercise of power through reference to age’ – what do you
think they mean by this?
They also suggest it has three integral elements:
Ageism is often institutionalised
Ageism is often expressed through stereotypical prejudice
Ageism can involve the assumption that the old are vulnerable
14. AGE AND DISCRIMINATION
Pilcher notes that old people are often described in derogatory
ways such as ‘old fogey’, ‘old biddy’, ‘old bat’ or ‘sweet little…’ –
These stereotypes are a way to marginalise the old and label them
as inferior.
Arber and Ginn (1993) – ageism is reinforced by institutional
practices – if an older person loses their job, they will find it
more difficult to gain employment.
15. AGE AND DISCRIMINATION
Bradley (1996) notes that old people may be seen as less suitable
for employment because they are assumed to be ‘physically
slow, lacking in dynamism and not very adaptable to
change’.
HOWEVER – the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations Act (2006)
protects against age discrimination in employment and education.
16. AGEISM AND THE MEDIA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTi6rsrXEC
U
How can advertising
inadvertently promote ageism?
How are middle-aged and
elderly women news reporters
underrepresented in the media?
(Sontag, 1978)
17. EVALUATE: C.G.E
How can the following influence the treatment of individuals based on their
age?
CLASS – is this relevant or do you think people are
treated the same regardless?
GENDER – are men and women treated equally?
ETHNICITY – are there cultural differences?
