SOCI 1002 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Ageism, Gerontocracy, Fourth Age

• School: Carleton University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOCI 1002
• Professor: Tamy Superle

Document Summary

For sociologists, aging is a process of socialization or learning new roles appropriate to different stages of life. Significance of aging varies from one society to the next: different societies attach different meanings t progression of life through its various stages. Pressure on women (and increasingly on men) to maintain a youthful appearance and the presumption that it"s possible to slow or stop the aging process. Perceptions in the decline in beauty, sexuality, and fertility. A lot of money and effort spent in the attempts to restore the vigour of youth and. Third stage: the younger elderly (65-75: living in responsible health and financial security. Fourth stage: older elderly (75-85: old age and dependency. Life course: phases of life through which people pass. These stages vary from one society and historical period to another. Stages often marked by rites of passage: cultural ceremonies that mark transition from one stage of life to another or from life to death.