Symbolic Interaction Theory: Elderly And Ageism

SOCIAL ISSUES AND AGEISM 2

Symbolic Interaction Theory, Elderly and Ageism

Evelyn R. Cotton

General Sociology

Blue Ridge Community and Technical College

Abstract

Do we allow outside sources to influence how we treat senior citizens? Do

we choose to ignore our elderly in our society? Ageism is an ?ism? that does not get much recognition in less we are confronted with it firsthand. Most will encounter this passage in life, so we need to communicate about what our wants are, when we become senior citizens. Teaching our youth that becoming older is not taboo, that we should embrace age, that you do not become week or ill after a certain number.

Symbolic Interaction Theory, Elderly and Ageism
Ageism is a form of discrimination and prejudice, particularly experienced by seniors. Becoming older is an inevitable process that every human will experience in less premature causes happen, like disease or tragic event. The discrimination against elderly people is a social issue in our society that place emphasis on seniors and those human abilities stop at a certain age. Most senior citizens are mentally and physically active regardless of age with a great deal to contribute. However, we as a society marginalize seniors, make them feel unwelcome, treat them with disrespect, act as if they are children and otherwise generalize them as all the same.
Personal experience, especially with the caretaking of my mother, taught me a lot about the social stigma we put on seniors.

My mother Evaun, was sharp as a tac, she woke up at 5am every morning and went to work at her business she owned for 40 years. She had health issues, open-heart surgery 9 years ago, failing kidneys, rheumatoid arthritis, she had always had health issues, but she never failed to get up at 5am every morning and go to work where she greeted her 15 employees every day up until her early 80?s. The day came though, when her little body became frail, getting up to work was harder (she always still did business paper work at home), she needed me to take her to appointments, which in certain circumstances agitated me, because some doctors would dismiss her as incoherent. Well, let just say she was always the one who had appointments written down, plus the correct medication at the right time of day. It is such a stereotype to keep a majority of senior citizens thought of as mental or frail and should live in nursing homes. There is going to be a time, not so far from now, when the population of seniors is going to be far more, our society is going to have to embrace ageism, respect it, learn, and realize elderly have a place in their community to help, enlighten, and

succeed.
The social issue with ageism can be symbolic interaction, a learned behavior that society implants from an early age in people. ?Symbolic interaction theory analyzes society by addressing the subjective meanings that people impose on objects, events, and behaviors. Subjective meanings are given primacy because it is believed that people behave based on what they believe and not just on what is objectively true. Thus, society is thought to be socially constructed through human interpretation. People interpret one another?s behavior and it is these interpretations that form the social bond.? Crossman, Ashley, (2016). Therefore, with that thought in mind, most people prototype elderly maybe by what they see on t.v. or ageism exits in part because older people are inefficient, that we teach our youth senior citizens cannot take care of themselves. The myth is age is becoming a more youthful growth then generations before, in part of medical advancements, nutritional values, and over all lifestyle changes, that seniors have become aware of sooner than later.

Reference
Crossman, A., (April 20, 2016). About Education, Understanding Symbolic Interaction Theory, Retrieved from http://sociology.about.com/od/Sociological-Theory/a/Symbolic-Interaction-Theory