Theories of the Aging Individual. In Western societies, for example, both the old and the young are perceived and treated as relatively incompetent and excluded from much social life. Quick Reference. age stratification A system of inequalities linked to age. Example: a group of people in an age group such as the stereotype of young people and older people being "incompetent" compared to middle age adults. Each of those groups can be further broken down to suit whatever purpose. Age stratification, cohort flow, and aging are all areas abounding in misapprehensions. age stratification. In this era of data banks, the accumulation of age-relevant material is far outstripping the development of relevant theory or the application of appropriate methods of analysis and interpretation. The other two theories are the Activity Theory of Aging and the Continuity Theory of Aging. The concept that a high level of personal activity increases the life satisfaction of older people. The importance of the similarities exceeds that of the differences. The principal sociological theory of aging, the age stratification model (ASM), has failed to provide an adequate structuralist counterpoint to the prevailing reductionism in social gerontology. See also AGEISM. Age-stratification theory considers individuals as members of cohorts with similarities to others in the same group. young or old. So age stratification is more specific, applying rules or restrictions based off of ones age. age stratification. Source for information on age stratification: A Dictionary of Sociology dictionary. Discrimination and prejudice against a person or group on the basis of age. It is one of three major psychosocial theories describing the development process of individuals as they age. Gerotranscendence theory posits that older adults withdraw from society, in order to give the individual the opportunity for self-reflection and exploration. Three major theories of the aging individual are disengagement theory, activity theory, and continuity theory. The problem with the ASM lies in its preoccupation with a functionalist understanding of … ageism. For example, one might argue that an older white male occupies a more powerful role, and is far less limited in his choices, compared to an older white female based on his historical access to political and economic power. Age stratification theory has been criticized for its broadness and its inattention to other sources of stratification and how these might intersect with age. A system of inequalities linked to age, often associated with age-sets. caregiving. The unequal distribution of wealth, prestige, and power at different stages of the life course. The theory states that this withdrawal is inevitable and mutual. Each focuses on the individual person and the psyche in adapting and adjusting to changes associated with growing old. 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