GERO 300 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Modernization Theory, Old Age, Social Change
12 Aug 2020
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Week 2 : concepts and theories in gerontology. Biological, psychological, social, historical and economic factors that shape the lives of people over time. An approach that emphasizes interaction of historical events, individual decisions/experiences and early life experiences on later life outcomes. Aging is a dynamic process and must be studied within the wider context and over time. When changes in social roles occur (e. g. , marriage, parenthood, retirement, etc. Societal expectation emerges when transition occurs (e. g. , that you should retire at age 65). Changes that are caused when another person"s role changes (e. g. , when your sibling becomes a parent you become an aunt or uncle). In the past: life course trajectories viewed as predictable and linear. Now: increasing number of pathways which might be taken. Middle-age; a recent addition to the life course trajectory. In 19th century, women spent about 90% of their adult lives involved in child rearing (due to lower life expectancy)
