Disengagement theory is useful and relevant in understanding the social world of older people. However, the theory is contradicted by empirical evidence that revealed high levels of activity and engagement amongst many older people. (Johnson & Barer, 1992) suggest that the idea that older people consider withdrawing from social roles and interactions from the society a positive step is preposterous. They carried a study to determine social adaptation among 150 individuals, 85 years and older. The sample was selected from municipal voting rolls on the US using a snowball technique. Data were collected through in-depth open ended structured interviews in the respondents’ homes. Health and functioning were evaluated by the OARS measures of perceived
Social deviance is a very broad term, which describes actions or behaviors that violate social “norms.” Norms, in a simple context, are rules by which members of society are expected to conform to. When discussing the term deviance, one might talk about the failure, or people’s failures to adapt to rules established by society. Social deviance has many forms and interpretations. Deviant acts, are primarily relative to setting, because deviance in one place could be considered non-deviance in another place. Theft, violence, murder, or any kind of criminal behavior, can be considered either deviant or non-deviant. It’s up to countries, establishments, and governing bodies to determine what acts are and aren’t acceptable. For example, fighting in a boxing ring is acceptable, while fighting in a nursery home is not. Murdering someone for drugs is not acceptable, but murdering someone in an act of self-defense is. As one can conclude, all acts of deviance are be subjected to review, and accepted on the condition that it fits its highly appropriate symbolism. Acts of deviance can result in some very positive outcomes. It’s important to realize that although failing to concede to a list of rules could be detrimental, it can also improve the standard of life in some parts of the world. Even though social deviance is mainly looked down upon mostly in society, deviance is a necessity. Without deviance, there’d be little to no indication of people’s dissatisfaction and exigency for change. Rosa Parks and Harriet Tubman are two primary examples of positive social deviance. Their refusal to follow the laws brought about movements that eradicated change in the nation. It’s important to note that there are positive and negative forms of deviance...
Gerontology provides different perspectives of the aging process and the evidence base from which health and social care practice with the older population is founded. Older people are affected differently by the ageing process. The disengagement theory provides a greater insight into why some older people withdraw from the society. According to the disengagement theory perspective, successful ageing is best achieved through abandoning social roles and relationships and by the individual reducing both activities and involvement. Disengaging from social activities and involvement put the older person at risk of being socially excluded. Social exclusion affects older people, although the risk increases with
Social integration and participation of seniors in society are important indicators of healthy aging. However, seniors are always at risk of being socially isolated. Many factors can cause social isolation and among them population aging that resulted more seniors to live longer is one of the most important factors.
Shaw and McKay (1942) focused their research on the rapidly expanding city of Chicago Illinois in the early 1900’s. Cullen and Agnew (2011) stated that the population of Chicago expanded from 1 million people in 1890 to double that size within 20 years. According to Cullen and Agnew (2011) it was in this era of rapid expansion that researches begin to think differently about crime. Cullen and Agnew (2011) stated that the researchers began to think that the understanding of crime may not be found in the studying of an individual criminal traits but the study of the traits of the environment in which a criminal lives and interacts. According to Cullen and Agnew (2011) this led to a question in which researchers thought a possible solution of controlling and explain crime would be found in changing environments and neighborhoods rather than changing people.
Shaw and McKay’s social disorganization theory had a profound impact on the study of the effects of urbanization, industrialization and immigration in Chicago neighborhood on crime and delinquency rates. However, Shaw and McKay faced much criticism when they first released their findings. One criticism of the social disorganization theory had to do with researcher’s ability to accurately test the social disorganization theory. Although Shaw and McKay collected data on characteristics of areas and delinquency rates for Chicago communities and were able to visually demonstrate a relationship between by using maps and other visuals, their research did not have an actually test that went along with it (Kurbin, 2010). Kurbin (2010) states that “the
Prominent musician, Celine Dion, once said, “There’s no such thing is aging, but maturing and knowledge. It’s beautiful, I call that beauty.” To many, growing old is just a natural, beautiful part of life. It is inevitable. It is inescapable. The functionalist perspective of sociology states that the elderly perform a function in order to keep society running with ease. Functionalists focus on the disengagement theory and how people tend to disengage from society as they approach death. Symbolic interactionists focus on how environmental factors and relationships with others affect the aging experience, focusing on the activity theory and the continuity theory (Carl, 2011, p. 220). Conflict theorists focus on the discrepancies that arise between different age groups. They also focus on the economical side of aging and the issues that may arise due to an active elderly population (Carl, 2011, p. 221).
Hooyman, N., & Kiyak, H. A. (2011). Social gerontology: A multidisciplinary perspective (9th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. (Original work published 2005)
Havighurst, R. J., Neugarten, B. L., & Tobin, S. S. (1968). Disengagement and patterns of aging. Middle age and aging, 161-172.
Atchley, R. C. (1997). Social forces and aging: An introduction to social gerontology (8th ed.).
This article evaluates the historical development of the social disorganization theory and explores the social mechanisms that can prevent crime. Further, it reviews community development strategies that can attempt to reduce crime. The chapter discusses how such strategies can further develop and evaluate to promote development of crime prevention.
Active ageing does not stop when elderly people retire, as they can remain active through their families, peers and communities. Active ageing aims to allow elderly people to realise and bring awareness to their own psychological, physical and mental well-being. As the goal of active ageing is the autonomy and independence of elderly people (Alexandre, Cordeiro, & Ramos, 2009). Ageing is a continuing life cycle, it is an ongoing developmental event that brings about certain changes in one’s own psychological and physical state. It is a time in one's own life where an elderly individual reminisces and reflects, basks and lives on previous accomplishments and begins to finish his life cycle.
According to theorist Cumming and Henry disengagement from society occurs to everyone and there is nothing anyone can do about it. It was one of the most controversial theories and has been argued by some of the top psychologist of its time (Achenbaum, 1994, p.756). Disengagement theory states it is an “inevitable process of aging whereby many relationships between the individual and society are altered and eventually severed” (Achenbaum, 1994, P. 758). In other words the relationship between the individual and society is unavoidable and that the alteration the individual and society makes is unnecessary. It all started with the University of Chicago’s committee on Human Development and their ideas about disengagement. It was believed that the social phenomena affected the elderly status of independence on their physical status. The data that was gathered was bias because it consisted of “3,000 white, English-speaking, mentally co...
I will compare and contrast Mike Newell's Dance with a Stranger and Danny Boyle's Shallow Grave in terms of alienation. The reasoning behind my choice is that these two films have explicit characteristics in the frame of alienation. Both highlight modern alienation in terms of alienated sexuality, isolation, normlessness whereas Newell
While being social has many benefits to the health of a person, it can have a negative effect if there is any financial stress, increased burdens, or ailing family member or partner (Annear et al., 2012). Caring for others as an elderly person can have both negative and positive effects while providing companionship and a sense of purpose, it can also make the elderly carers life more stressful and can sometimes make the carer feel emotionally isolated (Annear et al., 2012). Joining social groups will get encourage participation and interaction with other members of their social group; this will help in minimising the potential for social isolation and detachment. Barriers to having an active social health are living in rural or remote areas, long distances to services and social networks. It is important for elderly people to feel they still have some form of connection with their friends and family and feel that are still connect to
Life satisfaction is influenced by connections with family and friends. Contact with the outside, world whether it is with family, friends, or neighbors can be important for the elderly. A research study examined physical, mental, and cognitive functions of those who have reached over the age of eighty-five found that 59% had regular contact with friends, 62% had contact with neighbors and 72% had contact with families. In the same sample of participants, anxiety and depression was mostly non-existent and reported to have a high quality of life, despite the physical limitations of aging. Most of the participants in the study had fair to good scores of self-related health, lower scores for self-sufficiency (Richmond, Law & Kay-Lambkin, 2011). The social relationships scored well, with many having of the participants have a positive outlook about living to an old age of hundred. The findings found that even with poorer functional ability, these centenarians were well adjusted to loss of function of