PSYC 2314 Lifespan Development

Chapter 25 Late Adulthood: Psychosocial Development

Theories of Late Adulthood

• Self-theories: emphasize the active part played by each person in fulfilling his or her potential • Maslow’s: self-actualization • Erikson’s: integrity vs. despair • Paul Baltes: “selective optimization with compensation”

Theories of Late Adulthood

• Stratification Theories: social forces limit individual choice and direct life at every stage. Cultural forces become even more important but less supportive in old age.

– Stratification by Age – Stratification by Gender and Race

Theories of Late Adulthood

• Stratification by Age: segregate their oldest citizens – Disengagement vs. activity • Disengagement: aging makes a person’s social sphere increasingly narrow, resulting in role relinquishment, withdrawal, and passivity.

• Activity: people need to remain active in a variety of social spheres—with relatives, friends, and community groups

Theories of Late Adulthood

• Stratification by Gender and Age – Sexual Discrimination • Feminist theory: since most social structures and economic policies have been established by men, women’s perspectives and needs are devalued.

– Money and Independence

Theories of Late Adulthood

• Stratification by Gender and Race – Racial Discrimination • Critical race theory: decades of racial stratification resulted in poverty and frailty for minority elderly who were excluded from the economic mainstream. They have less access to senior-citizen centers, nursing homes, and other social services and amenities.

Theories of Late Adulthood

• Dynamic Theories: emphasize the diversity of development, as each person shapes his or her life within specific social contexts, which are constantly changing.

– Continuity theory: focused on how selfhood is maintained throughout social events and biological changes.

– Epigenetic: incorporate all the genetic, childhood, and cultural forces into an ever-changing but always productive system.

Keeping Active

• Retirement – Two main problems for retirees: • Health • Money

Keeping Active

• Alternative Sources for Achievement – Continuing Education – Volunteer Work – Political Involvement – Home, Sweet Home

Keeping Active

• Ironically, while the financial circumstances of the American elderly have improved in recent years, other age groups, notably children, have grown poorer.

• More than one American child in five now lives below the poverty line.

• Generational equity: equal contributions from, and fair benefits for, each generation.

The Social Convoy

• Collectively, the family members, friends, acquaintances, and even strangers who move through life with an individual.

• An important affirmation of who they are and what they have been.

Long-Term Marriages

• Most elders are married, and they tend to be happier, healthier, and wealthier • The best predictor of the nature of a marriage in its latter stages is its nature early on.

• Most older married couples believe their marriage has improved over the years: children are grown and because the accumulation of shared life experiences makes husbands and wives become more compatible.

The Social Convoy

• Death of a Spouse – Loss of a friend or lover – Lower income – Reduced status – A broken social circle and daily routine – Loss of identity

The Social Convoy

• Physical and Emotional Attachment – Women generally have an easier time coping with the loss of a spouse than do men.

– Women expect to outlive their husbands and make arrangements for some of the adjustments widowhood will require.

– Men, however, depend on their wives for the basic tasks of daily living and to provide emotional support and social interaction.

The Social Convoy

• Divorce – Very rare in late life, except with recent marriages.

– For divorced older women, life is likely to improve with age, esp. if they have successfully raised children as single mothers or succeeded in a career.

The Social Convoy

• Divorce – As a group, older divorced men are more likely to feel isolated from children, grandchildren, and old friends.

– Men also have a higher rate of physical and psychological problems.

The Social Convoy

• Older people’s satisfaction with life correlates significantly with the quantity and quality of their contact with friends.

• More older people are part of multigenerational families.

– Beanpole families: there are more generations than in the past, but with only a few members in each generation.

The Social Convoy

• Intensification of friendly bonds between siblings.

• Relationships with younger generations are clearly positive; it also include tension and conflict, particularly between mothers and daughters.

The Frail Elderly

• The frail elderly—the physical infirm, the very ill, or the cognitively impaired—are differentiated by their inability to perform adequately – Activities of daily life (ADLs) – Instrumental activities of daily life (IADLs)

The Frail Elderly

• In every nation the number is increasing: – More people are reaching old age – Modern medical technology prolongs life – Health care has largely been designed to rescue individuals from acute illnesses, such as cancer, while ignoring the longstanding, chronic complaints of the elderly.

– Measures that could prevent or reduce impairment— from adequate nutrition to safe housing—do not necessarily reach the frailest elderly.

The Frail Elderly

• Four protective factors: – Attitude – Social network – Physical setting – Financial resources