age and identity

• aries -children are 'little adults'
• older people ID

  • seen as frail and in need of support
  • retirements sees a loss of work ID and loss of income
  • age perceptions change as you get older e.g 30 is old at 20
  • spijker - rising life expectance means that people are younger and healthier for longer
• active ageing

  • laslett - 3rd age - increasing life expectance means more economic security and younger people retired
  • todays elderly can develop new opportunities and lifestyles so can form new ID
  • do this through being active or volunteering so still contribute to the community
  • increased life expectancy means retires people still have disposable income so can consume
• ageism and stigma

  • negative stereotypes of old people like poor health or grumpy
  • old age is a stigmatised ID and can become a master status preventing formation of alternative ID
• marxist evaluation

  capitalism causes stigmatisation as old people don't contribute to the economy and so aren't socially useful