Age Studies

• Jones et al


  Studied ex managers and professionals and found that they had more choice in arranging their retirement due to their higher status, they often retired early and spoke very highly of this and they were aware of how fortunate they are
• Milne


  'Grey power' refers to the consumption habits and patterns of those over 65. This rejects the functionalist idea that elderly are a homogenous group
• Pilcher


  There is a 'young old' for 65-74 a 'middle-aged old' for 75-85 and an 'old old' for 85+
• Moore

  Dressed as an old person and found that many people made assumptions about her including he being deaf and easily confused. She concluded that old people are disadvantaged by their physical old age but also young peoples assumptions about them
• Weber


  Looked at life chances regarding social class which can be applied to child poverty, poverty in old age due to depleting pensions and savings. He also found that old and young people have a lack of status, but if a person is old, wealthy with high status they will not suffer as much
• Johnson and Bythway


  Ageism is 'the offensive exercise of power through reference to age', stated that it can be institutionalised e.g. in the workplace, healthcare system and even well meaning institutions like care homes.
• Parsons (Functionalist)

  Youth is the bridge between adulthood and childhood, any rebellious behaviour is curbed by formal and informal institutions. This allows society to effectively function
• Eisenstadt (Functionalist)

  Youth is a time for individuals to grow up and learn new adult responsibilities. Agreed with Parsons about youths being allowed to make mistakes to learn lessons hence sanctions aren't as severe as adults
• Eisenstadt (Functionalist)

  It is a social norm for the elderly to retire. If they maintain social interactions they are reduced due to ageing. Age inequality is about social engagement and how people are marginalised
• Statham (Functionalist)


  Grandparents provide help and free childcare to socialise children and get parents back to work (helps society function).
• Cummings and Henry (Functionalists)

  Disengagement theory: older people deteriorate due to ageing, so they need to retire and disengage from their role and responsibilities to make way for a new younger work force
• Engels (Marxist)

  Reserve army of labour: the old and young are a secondary source of labour. During prosperity both are employed, and in recession they are laid off. Proven by them often being on zero hours contracts
• Gramsci (Neo Marxist)

  Legitimation of authority: young and old are held in a false conciseness due to the concessions that they receive e.g. free bus passes, cheaper cinema tickets etc. This legitimates the need for a state by creating a dependency culture
• Townsend and Phillipson (Marxist)

  Political economic theory: The elderly face inequality, which meets the needs of the economy. Capitalism needs to renew its workforce to ensure greater profits, therefore it needs the elderly to be 'institutionally marginalised' (retire) as they are expensive, and the young are cheaper and more productive
• Ginn and Arber (Feminist)


  Women's status and power depletes as they age whereas men gain status as they age. E.g. Arleen Phillips replaced by younger judge on strictly come dancing.
• Daly


  Women are made to comply with their gender, they have to look nice even in old age. Daly looked into many global practices where women are made to comply e.g. FGM. There is no similar evidence for men
• Itzin

  Women face a double standard. Men's status is directly linked to their employment, whereas women's is linked to their reproductive style. Women's status devalues after childbearing age. This may cause women to use cosmetics which also benefits capitalism
• Turner (Marxism)


  Exchange theory: both the old and young suffer lower status, because they don't have access to attributes of high status e.g. wealth. 'Reciprocity maturation curve of ageing' when people are dependent they'll suffer lower status
• Victor (Interactionist)


  The old view themselves as lonely, burdens, depend and unable to learn new things due to how they are negatively portrayed in the media
• Cohen (Interactionist)


  Moral Panics: the media exaggerate the immortality of young people labelling them as 'folk devils'. E.g. Mods vs Rockers
• Laczko and Phillipson (Postmodernists)


  Looked at early retirement and found that the inequality faced by some elderly people was due to wealth levels and not ageing itself
• Marsh and Keating

  Different cultures attach different cultural meanings and values to different age groups, e.g. Inuit people treat children as equals and in Ghana children may be labelled as spirits and sometimes as a result be killed
• Dowd

  Rapid advancements in technology are causing the elderly to feel like 'strangers in their own land