Chapter 17 is all about the challenges we may face later in life as well as the new abilities to prolong life as we grow older. The opening tells a story of a woman who, against all odds, was able to receive a college diploma at the age of 95 (a large feat by any means). The chapter goes on the talk about the difference in aging and death rates among men and women in the United States. Physical and mental health are also discussed as these are two obvious pieces of life that deteriorate as we become older. This brings into play ageism and stereotypes. While becoming older is inevitable, the ability to change one's appearance has become ever more available (beauty products, surgery, etc.) making being older 'easier' on individuals in a sense. We next delve into the elderly working or not working, as well as retirement and its affect on the marriages of the elderly. Afterward we learn about the excitement of being a grandparent. Later we see how parents react to their children becoming parents, the life cycle including death and its affects later (widowing), and finally a brief overview of general family care giving.
I found this chapter particularly enlightening due to the nature of its contents. The elderly are a large part of society and understanding them allows us to see what the world may have in store for us. I find it extremely interesting that at a young age males are rather overwhelming in numbers compared to females; however, as time goes on, females drastically overwhelm males.
One question that I have drawn from this chapter is that while men outnumber women at a younger age, what is the reasoning for this extreme fluctuation?
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