Sociology Chapter 9 Developmental Biocultural Brain And Culture Are

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Hutchison, Dimensions of Human Behavior, 6e

SAGE Publishing, 2019

Lecture Notes

Chapter 9: Late Adulthood

Learning Objectives

9.1: Compare one’s own emotional and cognitive reactions to three case studies.

9.2: Summarize major themes of the demographic characteristics of people in late

adulthood.

9.3: Give examples of diversity in the late-adult population.

9.7: Give examples of social role changes and family relationships in late adulthood.

9.8: Describe the search for personal meaning in late adulthood.

9.9: Compare formal and informal resources for meeting the needs of elderly persons.

Chapter Summary

As you read this chapter, take note of these central ideas:

1. Unlike in earlier historical eras, many people in the United States and other industrialized

2. The cumulative effect of health disparities based on race, ethnicity, gender, and

3. The most commonly discussed psychosocial theories of social gerontology are

4. All systems of the body appear to be affected during the aging process.

5. It has been difficult to understand psychological changes in late adulthood without long-

term longitudinal research, but recent longitudinal research suggests that with age and

experience, individuals tend to use more adaptive coping mechanisms.

Hutchison, Dimensions of Human Behavior, 6e

SAGE Publishing, 2019

6. Families play an important role in late adulthood, and as a result of increased longevity,

multigenerational families are more common than ever.

Annotated Chapter Outline

I. Introduction

A. Case Studies 9.1, 9.2, and 9.3

i. 9.1 The Smiths in Early Retirement

II. Demographics of the Older Population

i. Late adulthood: covers one quarter to one third of a person’s life and

includes active and less active, healthy and less healthy, working and

nonworking persons

III. Diversity of the Late-Adult Population

i. Aging population reflects shifting racial and ethnic trends in general

population

a. Hispanics are fastest growing segment

IV. Cultural Construction of Late Adulthood

i. Aging population viewed and treated differently in other cultures

ii. Exhibit 9.2 Six Traits for Growing Old With Grace

V. Psychosocial Theoretical Perspectives on Social Gerontology

Hutchison, Dimensions of Human Behavior, 6e

SAGE Publishing, 2019

iii. Activity theory: higher levels of activity and involvement are directly

related to higher levels of life satisfaction in elderly people

iv. Continuity theory: individuals adapt to changes by using the same

coping styles they have used throughout the life course, and they adopt

new roles that substitute for roles lost because of age

occurred to older-adult population

a. Exhibit 9.4 Dimensions of Productive Aging

x. Environmental gerontology: place and environment impact social

role, status, and activities of older adults

VI. Biological Changes in Late Adulthood

A. Introduction

i. Programmed aging theories: aging follows an internal biological

clock that regulates development, growth, and aging

B. Health and Longevity

i. Mortality rate: frequency at which death occurs within a population

a. Has significantly declined for all segments of U.S. population

C. Age-Related Changes in Physiology

i. All systems of the body are affected during aging process

a. Brain: volume shrinks and there is a decrease in synapses

Hutchison, Dimensions of Human Behavior, 6e

SAGE Publishing, 2019

D. The Aging Brain and Neurodegenerative Diseases

i. Most common neurodegenerative diseases are dementia, Alzheimer’s

disease, and Parkinson’s diseas.

E. Dementia

i. Dementia: the term for brain disease in which memory and cognitive

abilities deteriorate over time

F. Alzheimer’s Disease

i. The most common type of dementia

ii. Exhibit 9.6 Stages and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease

G. Parkinson’s disease

i. Chronic and progressive movement disorder that primarily affects older

adults over 70

VII. Psychological Changes in Late Adulthood

A. Personality Changes

i. Ego integrity versus ego despair: involves the ability to make peace

with one’s one and only life cycle and to find unity with the world

Hutchison, Dimensions of Human Behavior, 6e

SAGE Publishing, 2019

iii. Fluid intelligence declines with age, while crystallized intelligence

increases

iv. Intentional memory: relates to events you plan to remember

v. Incidental memory: relates to facts you have learned without the

intention to retain and recall

C. Mental Health and Mental Disorders

i. Older adults have a lower prevalence of mental disorders than young

VIII. Social Role Transitions in Life Events of Late Adulthood

A. Families in Later Life

i. Post-empty nest and postretirement period lengthens

ii. Significance of marital or partner relationship increases

B. Grandparenthood

i. May assume full responsibility for grandchildren

C. Work and Retirement

i. Upward shift in labor force participation of older adults

a. Related to financial considerations and improved health

ii. Two working groups:

a. Those who could afford to retire but choose to continue

working

Hutchison, Dimensions of Human Behavior, 6e

SAGE Publishing, 2019

E. Widowhood

i. Existing research focuses primarily on heterosexual relationships

F. Institutionalization

i. In 2015, 3.1% of population 65 years and older lived in institutional

settings

IX. The Search for Personal Meaning

i. Life review: a developmental task of late adulthood which involves the

X. Resources for Meeting the Needs of Elderly Persons

A. Informal Resources

i. Family

B. Formal Resources

i. Social security trust funds

XI. Technology and the Late-Adult Population

i. Exhibit 9.9 Innovations in Technology in the Last 100 Years

XII. Risk Factors and Protective Factors in Late Adulthood

i. Childhood events are significant

ii. Exhibit 9.10 Variables That Affect Healthy Aging

XIII. Implications for Social Work Practice

Hutchison, Dimensions of Human Behavior, 6e

SAGE Publishing, 2019