SOCL 2505 Chapter : Chapter10
Chapter 10: Older People and Their Families
• The Modernization of Old Age
o Industrialization changed the way families are organized
▪ Four living grandparents is a new phenomena
▪ People live longer today
• Grandparenthood as distinct stage is a WWII phenomenon
o Mortality decline
o Fertility decline
o Increased standard of living
• Mortality Decline
o Mortality: the number of deaths in a population
o Active life expectancy: number of years a person can expect to live with
out disability
• The Social Consequences
o More older people in population
o 57% of them are women
o Older population: 65 years of age and older
▪ Young-old: 65-74 years
▪ Old-old: 75-84 years
▪ Oldest-old: 85 years and over
▪ Centenarian: a person 100 years or older
o Gerontologists: a social/biological scientist who specializes in the study of
aging.
• Fertility Decline
o Fertility: the number of births in a population
▪ Falling fertility rates
o Now, parents finish raising their youngest children before grandchildren
arrive
▪ Fewer family roles
• Rising Standard of Living
o 1960 – 35% of older American lived below the poverty line
o Today – 9%
o Social Security has increased faster than the cost of living has
• Variations by Age, Race, and Gender
o Old-old more likely to be poor
o Non-whites poorer than whites
o Women more likely to be poor than men
o Medicare: government program of health insurance for all elderly people
o Medicaid: health insurance for people with incomes below poverty
o Will Medicare and Social Security benefits last?
▪ More elderly – baby boomers aging
