Chapter 17 involves how families change over time, especially in regards to age. Some of the topics the chapter covers include, but are not limited to:
The changing statistics of the elderly in our country, including the slowly increasing age of the population. The chapter also addresses the financial strain of such realities, including the limits of the social security system, the rising medical costs as a double-edged sword to the rising life expectancy of people, and the deferring of retirement. The book also mentions the two most likely medical problems of the elderly: depression and dementia.
The text also mentions different types of relationships Grandparents have with their families: detached types, supportive types, influential types, authoritative types, and cultural transmitters.
Death and bereavement are mentioned as well, including stages for dying and grief, as well as the process of bereavement.
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I knew there were a set of stages for dying, but I had no idea that there were stages of grief and mourning. I also never heard of the different grandparenting styles.
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1. Do you think ageism is more prevalent in some cultures than others? Does it depend on which age group is being discriminated against(young people, the elderly)?
Leishanda,
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling that ageism may be more prevalent in other cultures. For example, ageism against the elderly is probably more prevalent in an American culture that values youth than in another culture that puts more emphasis on respecting their elderly and finds value and wisdom in age.
-Ali Mosser
It is probably be more prevalent in cultures which focus on appearances of people rather than their wisdom, moral convictions, and personalities. A culture that values the utility of a person or their ability to do hard labor; one that values people who possess things -- who are drawn by and spend their money on products and technology. American culture is a culture that does many of these things, if not all, so I agree with Ali.
ReplyDeleteArguably, one could look at the flip side of this and say that treating the elderly very differently (as wise, etc.) could be seen as a form of ageism as well (similar to a specific form of racism such as colorblind racism, or, as one of my other classes argued, sexism in opening doors for women, etc.). I don't think I would say that America is necessarily much worse than other cultures, it is simply a different way of interacting with the elderly.
ReplyDeleteKarl Wahlen