The life-course perspective is gaining increasing acceptance in gerontology. It focuces on the multidimensional meaning of time; individual time (aging), cohort and historical time. Aging is interwoven in context, in a changing society, giving aging and old age different meanings and different conditions.
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The life-course perspective underlines that psychological development is going on through the whole life-course. Old age is best understood when individual past is …
The Life Course perspective is highly respected in the field of Aging because it addresses the impact of social determinants throughout the life course on health outcomes in later life (Elder, 1975). A thorough analysis of past biological, psychological, and social conditions allow us as social workers to be more properly equipped to understand our clients (Dannefer, 2006).
continuity theory. uses a life course perspective to define normal aging and to distinguish it from pathological aging; elaboration of activity theory. subculture theory. people who share similar interests, problems, and concerns will form a subculture; the aged are believed to have a positive affinity for one another.
More formal than Activity Theory- states personality plays the major role in adjustment to aging and adult develop is continuous 1.Internal- ideas, temperment, experiences 2.External - connect to past roles, skills, environment, relationships
Although a number of aging specific theories exist, the two most influential theories are the Life Course perspective and the Disengagement theory.
The Life Course perspective allows social scientists and social workers to look at correlations linked to an individual and their environment. The Life Course perspective is comprehensive in its universal applicability in the social sciences. For example, Walker’s (1983) research was consistent in its correlation of socio-economic status ...
Our goal as geriatric social workers is to promote human health and well being through a person centered approach, acknowledging diversity, social and economic justice and the promotion of human rights and equality (CSWE, 2008). In order to efficiently serve our aging clients, we need to be mindful of Aging theory. Gerontological theories not only examine the aging process on both the macro and micro levels, but also provide us with a working framework for social work practice (Bengtson et al., 2005). Although a number of aging specific theories exist, the two most influential theories are the Life Course perspective and the Disengagement theory.
The Life Course perspective is most effective in practice because it provides the opportunity to build on strengths perspective and a client’s ability to change (Hutchinson, 2008).
The Disengagement theory does not account for psychological adjustment to aging, quality of life and role loss (Victor, 2005 & Harris et al., 1978).
Both the Life Course perspective and the Disengagement theory are unique in their postulates and goals; nonethe less, the Life Course perspective is best suited for social work practice. When researching these two theories, I had a number of questions regarding the validity of the Disengagement theory.
The life course perspective is a sociological way of defining the process of life through the context of a culturally defined sequence of age categories that people are normally expected to pass through as they progress from birth to death.
Included in the cultural conceptions of the life course is some idea of how long people are expected to live and ideas about what constitutes “premature” or “untimely” death as well as the notion of living a full life — when and who to marry, and even how susceptible the culture is to infectious diseases. The events of one's life, ...
Life theory, though, relies on the intersection of these social factors of influence with the historical factor of moving through time, paired against personal development as an individual and the life-changing events that caused that growth.
When the concept was first developed in the 1960s, the life course perspective hinged upon the rationalization of the human experience into structural, cultural and social contexts, pinpointing the societal cause for such cultural norms as marrying young or likelihood to commit a crime.
The events of one's life, when observed from the life course perspective, add to a sum total of the actual existence a person has experienced, as it is influenced by the person's cultural and historical place in the world.
study of aging approach that emphasizes the interaction of historical events, individual decisions and opportunities and the effect of early life experiences in determining later life outcomes
first formal theory of aging; the view that normal aging involves a natural and inevitable mutual withdrawal or disengagement, resulting in decreasing interaction between an aging person and others
perceived timetables of the life course shape our experiences of growing older by providing reference points and sets of expectations about what we should be doing with our lives
people who begin life with greater resources continue to have opportunities to accumulate more of them while those who begin with few resources fall further behind
developmental changes based on biological processes mold human behavior from birth until death but human development is also influenced by an array of psychological, social, historical and economic factors
those in a transitional stage; beginning to experience chronic ailments and need some assistance from family or community service agencies
psychological and social needs of the elderly are no different from those of the middle aged and that it is neither normal nor natural for older people to become isolated and withdrawn
A disadvantage of longitudinal research studies is that they: have a tendency to be biased as some people drop out over a period of time. According to research, support for gay marriage was lowest among: the silent generation. Social scientists have found that there is a sequencing in the order of later life moves.
Social scientists have found that there is a sequencing in the order of later life moves. The second move is most likely to occur when:
Policies and programmes need to recognise the accumulated consequences of Analyn's disadvantage throughout life in order to better address her rights in older age.
From the moment we are born, we all begin ageing. This is the start of a complex and varied lifecourse. Each of us live through different events, we make choices, we face the consequences of policies and systems, and intersecting forms of discrimination that influence our lives. As we grow older, the impact on us of these different experiences accumulates.
A social pension was introduced by the government. This went some way to mitigate against the negative consequences of Analyn's lack of education as a young girl , and her lifetime of insecure informal work. However, the high cost of medicine and food in the local market means her pension did not go far.