Perspectives on the Future of the Sociology of Aging (2012) / Chapter Skim
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2 The New Realities of Aging: Social and Economic Contexts
2 The New Realities of Aging: Social and Economic Contexts
Pages 11-31
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From page 11... ...
The primary objectives of this chapter are to describe these new realities and the processes that give rise to them; to examine some of their outcomes and implications; and to highlight the importance of viewing the science of human aging through a sociological lens. We begin with some of the most significant social issues, examining the new configuration of the life course by considering the shifting boundaries and markers of different life periods; the erosion of traditional pathways through education, work, and retirement; and the future of aging based on what we know about younger cohorts.
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From page 12... ...
This three-box structure traditionally characterized the lives of men, but it also increasingly did so for women as their educational attainment and labor force participation grew. The boundaries and content of these three boxes, however, have been shifting and are even eroding (Settersten and Trauten, 2010)
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From page 13... ...
Older workers with substantial defined contribution plans are much more likely to remain in the labor force than those with defined benefits plans (Pang, Warshawsky, and Weitzer, 2008)
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From page 14... ...
One way to increase this understanding is to become more intimately acquainted with cohorts who are not yet old. For example, negative public discourse surrounding the Baby Boom generation has focused on how its size has strained social institutions or undermined public resources (see also Schulz and Binstock, 2006)
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From page 15... ...
Unprecedented complexities result when divorce and remarriage occur multiple times within particular families or for multiple families in the extended family matrix. New complexities result from the increased proportion of single-parent households, cohabitating couples, gay and lesbian couples, and individuals who are intentionally single and childless.
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From page 16... ...
The new complexities of family configurations also pose new questions about who is responsible for the care of older people, including growing proportions of people who have never married or parented, as well as aged parents who live far away from adult children and will inevitably need other informal sources of support and alternative social safety nets (Baca-Zinn, Eitzen, and Wells, 2010; Pavalko, 2011)
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From page 17... ...
. Similarly, for older African Americans, multiple health vulnerabilities undermine the ability to age independently, and consequently may increase reliance on adult children and relatives who are ill equipped to provide adequate instrumental support because of other work and family obligations (DilworthAndersen, Williams, and Gibson, 2002)
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From page 18... ...
The recession has surely reduced gift-giving as retirement accounts decreased and as adult children experienced job losses and foreclosures, weakening their ability to provide resources and care. Furthermore, research is needed to precisely delineate anticipated and actual monetary and nonmonetary inter vivos transfers to children, siblings, and elderly parents, and to monitor how these patterns are affected by the new diversity and ambiguity of family relationships.
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From page 19... ...
This has important implications for the economic security of these large groups of women in Baby Boom cohorts who will reach retirement age in the coming decade. Gender aside, the serious challenges to retirement for older workers and retirees amid financial disruption are similarly illustrated in the members of the ethnically diverse U.S.
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From page 20... ...
provide health care coverage for poor children and the elderly, there are significant gaps in the health care safety net, especially for those who are no longer children and not yet old. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)
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From page 21... ...
Population aging in the United States brings serious and long-term financial consequences for how individuals and employers will fund Social Security and private retirement plans, including defined contribution plans like 401(k)
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From page 22... ...
In 1945 there were 40 workers for every retired person receiving Social Security. However, as a result of increasing immigration from Latin America and Asia, the changing age structure, and the aging of Baby Boomers themselves, by 2030 each retiree will depend on the contributions of slightly more than two workers.
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From page 23... ...
A serious global aging agenda will demand that the economic and social welfare institutions of countries interact, and that the roles of women, ethnic minorities, and new immigrants be redefined, to better ensure the social protection of vulnerable populations. FINAL THOUGHTS: WHY SOCIOLOGY IS CRUCIAL TO THE STUDY OF HUMAN AGING We have addressed some of the new realities of aging as they are shaped by contemporary social and economic contexts.
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From page 24... ...
Aging is a phenomenon that is heavily conditioned by social institutions, historical events, policies, the economy, cohort momentum, social interaction, and intergenerational dynamics. Social change is central to the sociologist's lens to deal with the inevitable fact that social institutions and practices do not remain static, which forces us to challenge taken-for-granted assumptions that are based on outdated theoretical models.
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From page 25... ...
Aging is one of the most intricate scientific puzzles, posing many significant challenges for individuals, families, and societies. Sociological research is crucial to unlocking that puzzle and understanding the properties of social institutions, social organization, and social interaction in an aging world.
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From page 26... ...
, International Handbook of Population Aging (Vol.
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From page 27... ...
Uhlenberg (Eds.) , Social Structures: The Impact of Demographic Changes on the Well-being of Older Persons (pp.
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From page 28... ...
. Population aging and intergenerational transfers: Introducing age into national accounts.
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From page 29... ...
. Welfare states: Protecting or risking old age.
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From page 30... ...
. Intergenerational relations in later life families.
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From page 31... ...
. Cumulative advantage processes as mechanisms of inequality in life course health.
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