Essay On Disengagement Theory

My interpretation of successful aging is being physically, mentally and socially satisfied with how my life turned out. Also, achieving the respect of family and friends, personally is something I would love to accomplish as that signifies a successful life for me. I have learnt emotional satisfaction gives grater peace as compared to any amount of money according to the experiences I have seen and heard of aged people around the world. Research on successful aging, recognizes the way that there is a growing number of adults working at a high level and contributing to the society. Researchers working in this area look to define what differentiates successful from usual aging in order to design effective strategies and medical interventions

It is based on the observation that as people grow older they generally restrain to activities of middle age. This theory represented a shift from an emphasis on the individual to an emphasis on the interaction between the individual and society. The fundamental proposition of disengagement theory is that aging is accompanied by a mutual withdrawal of individuals and society. Disengagement of older members therefore increases satisfaction within society as a whole, because it contributes to the maintenance of social equilibrium. Disengagement is believed to be satisfying to the individual because he or she is released from pressures to behave as expected (on the job) and has more freedom to deviate from societal norms without criticism. Through disengagement, it is argued, individuals experience a high level of satisfaction and well being in the later years of life. The concept, more than theory of disengagement, is useful in explaining individual behaviour: e.g. older people in poor health have less opportunity to be engaged in social roles and may consciously narrow their social world by withdrawing from social