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Chapter 11, Age and Sex

Chapter 11, Age and Sex. Age Stratification The Social Significance of Aging Growing Up/Growing Old: Aging and the Life Course Sex, Social Structure and Social Stratification Sexuality and Sociological Theory. Chapter 11, Age and Sex. Contemporary Sexual Attitudes and Behavior

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Chapter 11, Age and Sex

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  1. Chapter 11, Age and Sex • Age Stratification • The Social Significance of Aging • Growing Up/Growing Old: Aging and the Life Course • Sex, Social Structure and Social Stratification • Sexuality and Sociological Theory

  2. Chapter 11, Age and Sex • Contemporary Sexual Attitudes and Behavior • Sex and Social Issues • Age, Sex and Social Change • The Graying of America: A Society Grows Old • The Sexual Revolution

  3. Theoretical Perspectives on Age Stratification • Functionalism sees both youth and elderly as less useful or “functional” for society. • Disengagement theory predicts that as people age, they withdraw from society and are relieved of responsibilities.

  4. Theoretical Perspectives on Age Stratification • Conflict theory sees ageism as eliminating youth and the elderly from competition over scarce resources. • Symbolic interaction theory sees youth and the elderly as infantilized via cultural symbols, such as language and popular culture.

  5.  Physical Process of Aging • The effects of aging depend on biological, social, and environmental factors. • Short-term memory becomes less accurate, but long-term memory becomes more accurate. • Artistic abilities have been known to develop in later life.

  6.  Life Course Perspective Within each generation, life events shape the sociological experience of age groups: • Childhood • Youth and adolescence • Adulthood • Old age

  7.  Childhood The image of a childhood as carefree is not the reality for many children: • 1/4 of those living in shelters are children. • 26% of children live in poverty. • As many as 16% of girls under age 18 experience sexual abuse.

  8. Youth and Adolescence • Until the 20th century, children moved directly into adult roles, there was no adolescence period. • Establishing an identity is the central concern of this life stage. • Special vocabularies and manners of speaking, argot, define youth independence from adults.

  9.  Adulthood • Carries more responsibility, rights and privileges than any other stage in the life cycle. • The economic and social resources one has influences how one experiences each phase of adulthood, including “mid-life.”

  10.  Retirement • Maintaining social contacts from work and elsewhere eases the burdens of retirement. • Taking on a job when retired creates social networks, which is linked to better health. • Most pension systems discriminate against women who have on average lower lifetime earnings.

  11. Old Age • The majority of men and women remain sexually active well into their 70s and 80s. • The majority of the elderly adjust well to changes. • Only about 10% of the elderly become senile. • One of the most difficult adjustments of old age is widowhood.

  12.  Elder Abuse • There are between 820,000 and 1,860,000 abused elders in the U.S. • Includes physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, financial exploitation, neglect, abandonment and self-neglect. • Median age for elder abuse victims is 76.5 years.

  13. Social and Cultural Basis of Sexuality • Human sexual attitudes and behavior vary in different cultural contexts. • Sexual attitudes and behavior change over time. • Sexual identity is learned. • Social institutions channel and direct human sexuality.

  14. Sex: Functional or Conflict-Based? • Functionalist theory tends to depict sexuality in terms of how it contributes to the stability of social institutions. • Conflict theorists see sexuality as part of the power relations and economic inequality in society. 

  15. Social Construction of Sexual Identity • One’s sexual identity develops through social experiences. • Different sexual identities are possible, and are learned through socialization.

  16. Sexual Practices of Americans Random sample of nearly 3500 adults reveals several trends: • Young people are sexually active earlier. • The proportion of young people who are sexually active has increased. • Having only one sex partner in one’s lifetime is rare.

  17. Sexual Practices of Americans • A significant number of people have extramarital affairs. • A significant number of people are homosexual. • For those who are sexually active, sex is relatively frequent. • People are not very well informed about sex. 

  18. Sex and Social Issues Sex is related to some of the most difficult social problems including: • Reproductive technologies • Abortion • Pornography • Teen pregnancy

  19. The Graying of America • By 2015, 27% of population will be 55 and over. • By 2025, 30% will be over 55. • The percentage of the population classified as the oldest old will continue to grow. • Women will outnumber men in old age.

  20. The Sexual Revolution • Many changes in the sexual revolution have been changes in women’s behavior. • Resulted in more commercialized sex and defined sex as a commodity. • Definitions of sexuality are influenced by the advertising industry. • Inequalities of race, class, and gender shape sexual relationships and values.

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