Impressions of Aging and the Elderly in Country Music

5932 Words12 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: paper how the media representation of the elderly contribute to the prevelance of negative sterotype about them

Impressions of Aging and the Elderly in Country Music Abstract This paper examines recorded country music from about 1920 to 1990 as a source of popular impressions of aging and old age. A sample of 100 songs, primarily from Billboard's Top 40 charts are content-analyzed and the data categorized into image areas. Overall, as expected, the images of aging in the lyrics of country music, both as a process and as a demographic category, are positive; however, interesting variations appear when gender and specific image category are controlled. One important measure of the perception of the aging process is the manner in which aging and old age are depicted in various cultural forms. The condition of old age in primitive and prehistoric societies has been described by the folk tales and cave drawings of that have survived to the present (Fisher, 1978). Likewise, it is possible that current societal views of aging may be illuminated through the impressions created by contemporary agents of socialization. And while it is difficult to determine whether stereotypical images are derived from reality or if, if fact, such images create reality (Clark, 1980), it is possible to investigate how and to what extent certain institutions reflect various images of the aging process. In the last decade, a number of social scientists have investigated the ways in which informal agents of socialization provide or support current stereotypes and attitudes held toward the elderly. A review of previous studies in the area indicates that researchers have examined aging in jokes (Davies, 1977; Palmore, 1971; Richman, 1977), birthday greeting cards (Demos and Jache, 1980), television drama (Harris and Feinberg, 1978), poetry (Clark, 1980; Sohngen and Smith, 1978), newspapers (Bochholz and Bynum, 1982) and literature (Janelli, 1988; Loughman, 1977; Sohngen, 1977). Of particular interest and importance to this study is the recent work of Cohen and Kruschwitz, (1990) which examines printed sheet music from 1830 to 1980 for impressions of aging and old age. While their search for popular sheet music is admittedly "nonsystematic" and their selection of image categories was "inductive," the authors have, in our view, made a significant contribution to the popular culture analysis of aging and the elderly.Research to date suggests that the elderly have been portrayed in contradictory ways with some images being negative and passive and others positive and active (Buchholz and Bynum, 1982). The question still remains as to what cumulative picture of aging and the elderly is painted by American music.

Show More
Related

  • Double Standard Of Aging

    1362 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ageing is something that everyone will eventually experience if they are fortunate to live a long life. The process of ageing comes with various negative and positive outlooks. In western culture, ageing for both genders is particularly condemned. In the media in particular, the process of ageing for men and women vary greatly. Where, women are condemned for ageing more than men are. Media greatly highlights on the stereotypical notion of ageing especially in the aspect of portraying men and women and their social roles through advertisement. I will be discussing

    Read More

  • Milling the Wife's Bath

    783 Words  | 2 Pages

    The characters of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales are very memorable. Chaucer's prologue introduces several characters. The Pardoner, Miller, and Wife of Bath stand out from the crowd. These characters are all unique in their own way. Chaucer describes the characters in full detail. The physical description he gives for each character actually foreshadows their attitudes, status, and personalities. The characters of The Canterbury Tales are very memorable because their character types can are universal. People like the disgusting miller or deceptive pardoner are still seen to this day. Having married a total of five times, The Wife of Bath is a perfect example of modern day celebrities. The tales each individual character tells reflects their personal views of their current society. The Wife of Bath voices her full opinions in her tale, while the Miller tells his story in extreme detail.

    Read More

  • Substance Abuse and the Elderly

    2005 Words  | 5 Pages

    Atchley, R. C. (1997). Social forces and aging: An introduction to social gerontology (8th ed.).

    Read More

  • Perspective of Aging: A Phenomenological Approach

    1115 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hiller, S. M., & Barrow, G. M. (2011). Aging, the individual, and society. (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

    Read More

  • Aging:The Original Human Condition

    3390 Words  | 7 Pages

    The Encyclopedia of Cultural Anthropology (1996) was a helpful source to gain a definition on aging which includes the concepts of life course, seniority, and treatment of the aged. Aging can be measured by common biological content: proportion of the maximum fife span one has lived, performance on a series of physiological tests which index biological age, and patterns of the age­specific risk of mortality. Despite this universal biological content, it is notable that aging takes on a variety of forms, many which show regular associations with aspects of culture. Rather than focusing on age, it may be more appropriate to review the life cy...

    Read More

  • Attitudes And Attrivants In Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales

    704 Words  | 2 Pages

    In his story titled "The Canterbury Tales" Chaucer seems to truly admire some of the pilgrims while displaying disdain and sarcasm towards the others. The pilgrims that he most seems to admire are the Knight, the Oxford Clerk and the Parson. The knight he seems to admire based on his notation of all the campaigns in which the knight has participated in service to just causes. Chaucer makes mention of the knight 's worthiness, wisdom and humility "Though so illustrious, he was very wise And bore himself as meekly as a maid." (67,68 Chaucer). It seems as though Chaucer admires the knights great ability both in warfare and practicing what he preaches. This can be seen in his description of all those he seems to admire in the tale. The Oxford Clerk

    Read More

  • Schools Should Not Have Uniforms

    1019 Words  | 3 Pages

    “They shouldn't because they should be able to express themselves and choose what to wear. Also, they should be able to wear what they want and be free to wear what they want. They should also be able to share their personalities with their classmates and family members. ” (should kids). Some students can’t express themselves with art or music so, there way is through clothing like: buttons, band t-shirts, etc. In private schools it would be easier to enforce since there parents are paying extra for a better education. Public schools on the other hand would be a lot harder to enforce especially because some students don’t like school. Which if uniforms were enforced would make students hate school even more.

    Read More

  • The Need for School Uniforms

    444 Words  | 1 Pages

    In conclusion, I feel that school uniforms are something all schools should really consider implementing in their policy. All of these points made show that they could be budget-friendly, help children focus and lower the barriers children can build up because of merely what they are wearing.

    Read More

  • Ageism Essay

    2494 Words  | 5 Pages

    Ageism stereotypes permit people in society to engage in negative behaviors towards the late adulthood population. Ageism occurs throughout America and seems to be considered an almost ignored method of abuse. According to Nelson, (2005) attitudes toward older people began to shift dramatically with two major developments in civilization (p. 208). The major developments Nelson referred to are the invention of the printing press and the industrial revolution. The elderly population lost social status because historical events were now able to be printed and documented more easily. The need...

    Read More

  • Uniforms in Schools

    550 Words  | 2 Pages

    School uniforms in public schools are becoming increasingly popular across the nation. The public school system would benefit greatly if this policy were to be adopted. Opposition is always a factor when trying to make changes. Taking all things into consideration, the positive effects would be far greater than the negative effects. School uniforms should be required in public schools because their use would lead to higher education, less violence, and lower cost to parents.

    Read More

  • School Uniforms Persuasive Essay

    1029 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...n our public schools today - they may seem like a good suggestion, but when looked at closer, all uniforms do is disguise the center of attention of the real concern that need to be successfully worked out. If security is a worry, we shouldn't be looking to a uniform to rectify the issue - if the concern is students not concentrating on school work, or getting meager grades, again, uniforms should not be seen as a way out. We have a duty to teach our children as much as we can in safe surroundings, and those are grave concerns that cannot be resolved by putting all children in the same attire. If all the children are wearing the same clothes, you still have a question with security and poor instruction - and now you have a student body that is being taught not to express their individuality. Uniforms in some cases, add to a school's concern, they do not answer them.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast The Kngiht And The Squire

    586 Words  | 2 Pages

    Geoffrey Chaucer portrayed a cross section of medieval society though The Canterbury Tales. "The Prologue" or foreword of this work serves as an introduction to each of the thirty one characters involved in the tales. Two of these characters are the Kght and the Squire, who share a father and son relation. These individuals depart on a religious pilgrimage to a cathedral in Canterbury. The Squire, opposed to the Knight, goes for a vacation instead of religious purposes. His intent is not as genuinand pure as his father's.

    Read More

  • An Analysis of the Characters of The Canterbury Tales

    2545 Words  | 6 Pages

    One of Geoffrey's less believable main characters is the Knight, for reasons of chivalry. The knight displays many traits which make him seem almost too good to be true, and a true gentleman that rarely exists in reality. The narrator sums up the knights character by stating that "Though he were worthy, he was wys,/And of his port as meeke as is a mayde." (pg. 5, The Canterbury Tales) The knight holds four main admirable traits, making him the most liked traveler in "The Canterbury Tales," and also amplying the doubt of his realism. The reader is prepared to learn of each of his noble accomplishments and importance when the narrator remarks that" A knight ther was, and that a worthy man,/That fro the tyme that he first bigan/To ryden out, he loved chivalrye,/Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisye." (pg. 4, The Canterbury Tales) From the characters impressive introduction, it is clear that this man is the most valued and honorable traveler among the group. This perfect gentleman holds a love of ideals that are often not displayed by people. First and foremost, he believes in the ideals of chivalry, and always stays true to its principles. He also feels that one should be honest, truthful and faithful, which many people are not all of these ideals. The knight thinks one should only do what is right, and what will gain him honor and reputation. This character also believes in freedom and generosity towards all, and displays this ideal repeatedly throughout the novel. And lastly, the knight also strongly feels that any proper person should display courtesy and elegance at all times. Another aspect of this character's life which makes him seem too prestigious to be truthful is his impressive military career. He fought in the holy war, known as the Crusades and was involved in 15 "mortal battles." In the prologue, the narrator informs the reader that "Ful worthy was he in his lordes werre,/And therto hadde he riden, no man ferre,/As wel in Cristendom as hethenesse,/And ever honoured for his worthinesse.

    Read More

  • School Uniforms Should Be Mandatory

    1142 Words  | 3 Pages

    A uniform is a standard set of clothes that is worn by a group of people. These people may be members of an organization or a group of people having the same ideas. There are thousands of kinds of uniforms in the world worn by people, such as police officers, firefighters, doctors, lawyers, security guards, and even fast-food restaurant workers. School uniforms are a controversial issue in schools today. Many schools have already adopted a policy mandating school uniforms, while many more are still considering the change. School uniforms create an atmosphere of equality in which the students are able to achieve to their best, while attaining the most out of their education. School uniforms should be mandatory to unite the school community as one, to instil discipline among the student body, and to eliminate distractions that will help students focus more, which in turn will help our society.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Old Lady In The Boss Came To Dinner

    1314 Words  | 3 Pages

    The relation between culture and age has often been the subject of discourse in recent gerontological studies. It is argued that there is an inherent relation between the two. The difference marked by age or our perception of old age, in particular, is a cultural and social construction. Consequently, the meanings and value assigned to old age are also socially constructed. This in turn leads to a reshaping of identity or what Holstein and Gubrium term as ‘self-construction’(Randall and McKim 235). However, what we need to consider is whether it is only this construct that is solely responsible for determining our response to aging. Does our environment have complete agency in shaping our attitude or is it also dependent on how we, as

    Read More

More about Impressions of Aging and the Elderly in Country Music

Open Document