Deck 12: Stratification by Age

Question 1

According to which theoretical perspective do social roles remain relatively unchanged as people age?

A)functionalist
B)conflict
C)interactionist
D)feminist

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The functionalist perspective maintains that

A)once people are labeled as "old" in the United States,this designation will have a major impact on how they are perceived and how they view themselves.
B)elderly people are unfairly regulated by the powerful elements in society.
C)elderly people passing social roles on from one generation to another ensure social stability.
D)old people have the same need for social interaction as any other group.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which sociologists were responsible for developing the disengagement theory?

A)Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and Richard Kalish
B)Elaine Cumming and William Henry
C)Talcott Parsons and Robert Merton
D)Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

Answer 3

B

Question 4

In analyzing the elderly as a minority,one crucial difference between older people and other subordinate groups is that

A)older people are not the objects of prejudice and discrimination.
B)membership is not involuntary.
C)if we live long enough,we will all become members of this minority.
D)old people do not marry members of their own group.

Question 5

What age do people have to be in order for writers to commonly refer to them as "young old"?

A)50s
B)60s
C)70s
D)80s

Question 6

Activity theory is a(an)

A)functionalist theory of aging,which contends that elderly people who remain active will be best-adjusted.
B)conflict theory of aging,which argues that society and the aging individual mutually sever many of their relationships.
C)functionalist theory of aging,which argues that society and the aging individual mutually sever many of their relationships.
D)interactionist theory of aging,which argues that elderly people who remain active will be best-adjusted.

Question 7

According to which theoretical perspective is old age a time when people are victimized and their social roles devalued?

A)functionalist
B)conflict
C)interactionist
D)feminist

Question 8

Which of the following is correct regarding age?

A)Age is a socially constructed ascribed status.
B)Age is considered an achieved status.
C)The status of age is not socially constructed like race or gender.
D)Age is neither an achieved nor an ascribed status.

Question 9

From available statistics,which country is considered "the oldest" compared to the U.S.?

A)Sweden
B)Japan
C)Spain
D)Greece

Question 10

A salesperson in his mid sixties is told by his peers,his family,and his boss that it is about time to retire and reap the fruits of his longtime career and his well-endowed pension fund.He eventually gives in to their persistent pressure.This is consistent with

A)conflict theory.
B)disengagement theory.
C)activity theory.
D)labeling theory.

Question 11

Disengagement theory is a

A)functionalist theory of aging,which contends that elderly people who remain active will be best-adjusted.
B)conflict theory of aging,which argues that society and the aging individual mutually sever many of their relationships.
C)functionalist theory of aging,which argues that society and the aging individual mutually sever many of their relationships.
D)theory of the United States' withdrawal from international involvement.

Question 12

The elderly are categorized as a subordinate group or minority because

A)membership in the group is involuntary.
B)older U.S.citizens have a strong sense of group solidarity.
C)older people experience unequal treatment in employment and may face prejudice and discrimination.
D)All of these answers are correct.

Question 13

Activity theory is associated with which sociological perspective?

A)functionalist perspective
B)conflict perspective
C)interactionist perspective
D)feminist perspective

Question 14

Which sociological perspective notes that among those elderly who decline in their mental capacities,deterioration is most rapid in old people who withdraw from social relationships and activities?

A)functionalist perspective
B)conflict perspective
C)interactionist perspective
D)disengagement perspective

Question 15

Which sociological approach would most likely view old age as a "master status" that has consequences for how the elderly are treated in the United States?

A)disengagement theory
B)activity theory
C)labeling theory
D)functionalist perspective

Question 16

Which sociological perspective criticizes both disengagement theory and activity theory for failing to consider the impact of social structure on patterns of aging?

A)functionalist perspective
B)conflict perspective
C)interactionist perspective
D)global perspective

Question 17

Marilyn,who has worked as a research scientist for 40 years,voluntarily retires at 64 years of age.However,she is in good health and spends most of her time hiking,doing volunteer work at a local hospital,and dating many of the eligible men in her community.Marilyn's behavior reflects which sociological theory?

A)activity theory
B)family systems theory
C)conflict theory
D)disengagement theory

Question 18

The elderly exhibit traits of a minority group,including the fact that

A)they are indistinguishable from the rest of the population.
B)they are unlikely to be married to others of comparable age.
C)membership in the group is involuntary.
D)there is little solidarity among them as a group.

Question 19

In many developing countries,the traditionally high status of the elderly has been undercut by

A)world systems theory.
B)gerontology.
C)modernization.
D)pay equity.

Question 20

Gerontology is

A)rule by the elderly.
B)the scientific study of the sociological and psychological aspects of aging and the problems of the aged.
C)a religious cult that worships the aged.
D)a religion formed in Florida that is practiced exclusively by the aged.

Question 21

A midlife crisis is best defined as a period

A)of transition experienced by men and women that begins around 50 years of age.
B)of self-evaluation in which people realize that they have not achieved basic goals and have little time to do so.
C)in which adult children must simultaneously meet the competing needs of their parents and their children.
D)of disenchantment that retirees feel as they begin to cope with their new lives.

Question 22

Tom is dying at home,where a home hospice-care worker has visited him frequently,and he has been able to spend meaningful time with his various family members and tell them how important they have been to him.In respect to the norms of Western cultures,such as those of the United States,Tom is

A)in the disenchantment phase of dying.
B)in the depression stage of dying.
C)having an "appropriate death."
D)experiencing denial.

Question 23

The minority aged population is expected to

A)decline in the next 40 years.
B)increase in the next 40 years.
C)remain constant over the next 40 years.
D)increase with baby boomers and then sharply decline.

Question 24

A NORC is a(n)

A)police officer who serves the aging population.
B)type of nursing home.
C)area that has become an informal center for senior citizens.
D)planned retirement community for those over age 65.

Question 25

Which sociologist noted that dying people pass through stages of denial,anger,bargaining,depression,and acceptance on their journey to death?

A)Richard Kalish
B)Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
C)Helen Rose Fuchs Ebaugh
D)Robert Atchley

Question 26

What practice,first introduced in London,England,in the 1960s,was founded on the concept of "death with dignity"?

A)hospice care
B)euthanasia
C)senilicide
D)naturally occurring retirement communities

Question 27

The term oldest old refers to

A)people aged 65 and older.
B)people aged 65 and older who are in poor health.
C)people aged 85 and older.
D)people aged 85 and older who are in poor health.

Question 28

Jane,a former corporate executive,retires and,eventually,spends her time happily landscaping her home and working for a volunteer agency serving the local homeless population.According to Robert Atchley,Jane is in which phase of retirement?

A)disenchantment
B)reorientation
C)stability
D)termination

Question 29

About 80 percent of the elderly are comprised of which of the following groups?

A)non-Hispanic Whites
B)African Americans
C)Asian Americans
D)Latinos

Question 30

The sandwich generation occurs when

A)people opt for early retirement and are caught between their working and non-working peers.
B)adults try to meet the competing demands of their parents and their own children.
C)adults realize that their parents have died and that they are now the oldest generation.
D)those who are age 65 are not financially able to retire and must continue working or find paid employment.

Question 31

Which sociologist created a seven-stage theory of the retirement process?

A)Richard Kalish
B)Elaine Cumming
C)Helen Rose Fuchs Ebaugh
D)Robert Atchley

Question 32

An "appropriate death" in Western societies entails

A)making the experience as positive as possible.
B)controlling the quality of a dying person's last days.
C)the ideal of a "good death."
D)All of these answers are correct.

Question 33

Martha tells the company for which she has been working for the last 25 years that she plans to retire on March 15.According to Robert Atchley's analysis of retirement,Martha is in which stage?

A)the preretirement stage
B)the near phase
C)the reorientation phase
D)the stability phase

Question 34

Rudy,who has just retired from his longtime job as a corporate executive,is enjoying the freedom that his post-working years afford him,and he is spending a lot of time doing the traveling that he never had the time to do before.According to Robert Atchley,he is in which stage of retirement?

A)the preretirement phase
B)the near phase
C)the honeymoon phase
D)the termination phase

Question 35

In Robert Atchley's conceptualization of the retirement process,the "near phase" refers to the

A)development of a more realistic view of the retirement process.
B)point in time when the individual establishes a specific departure date from his or her job.
C)time when the person can no longer engage in basic,day-to-day activities such as self-care and housework.
D)development of a realistic view of retirement alternatives.

Question 36

By old age,by what ratio do women outnumber men?

A)2:1
B)3:2
C)5:2
D)They don't;men outnumber women.

Question 37

Which psychologist developed a model of adult socialization that included stages of early adult,midlife,and later adult transitions?

A)Richard Kalish
B)Elaine Cumming
C)Daniel Levinson
D)Robert Atchley

Question 38

Which of the following would best fit the definition of a NORC?

A)a nursing home set up to resemble an apartment living situation
B)a planned retirement village in Florida where only those 65+ can live
C)an assisted living facility that offers various stages of assistance
D)a community in Arizona where many 65+ people have relocated to due to the nice weather and multiple facilities that cater to their needs

Question 39

Which of these racial and ethnic groups has the longest life expectancy?

A)Whites
B)Asian Americans
C)Hispanics
D)African Americans

Question 40

In Robert Atchley's conceptualization of the retirement process,the "termination phase" refers to the

A)day that the individual leaves his or her occupational position.
B)point in time when the individual establishes a specific departure date from his or her job.
C)time when the person can no longer engage in basic,day-to-day activities such as self-care and housework.
D)development of a realistic view of retirement alternatives.

Question 41

Which of the following individuals has led a crusade to legalize physician-assisted suicides?

A)Richard Kalish
B)Elaine Cumming
C)Dr.Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
D)Dr.Jack Kevorkian

Question 42

The acronym SAGE stands for Seniors Against Gerontological Environments.

Question 43

Florida currently has the highest proportion of elderly people in the United States.

Question 44

Which of the following states is the most populated by the elderly?

A)California
B)Florida
C)Arizona
D)Texas

Question 45

The emergence of a collective consciousness by the elderly is illustrated by the establishment of the

A)United States Congress.
B)Roman Catholic church.
C)American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).
D)American Automobile Association (AAA).

Question 46

Conflict theorists have suggested that the transition from agricultural economies to industrialization and capitalism has always been beneficial for the elderly.

Question 47

Which of the following statements about wealth and income among elderly persons is accurate?

A)There is significant variation in wealth and poverty among the nation's older people.
B)Older people as a group are homogeneous and poor.
C)Middle-class workers are generally no better-off as they retire,as compared to lower-class workers.
D)All of these answers are correct.

Question 48

Susan,56 years of age,and her daughter Beverly,28 years of age,are both secretaries.They both apply for the same job,and although Susan has much more experience,the company hires Beverly because,as one of the company's owners says,"Who wants a wrinkled old lady to work in our office?" This attitude reflects

A)senilicide.
B)gerontocracy.
C)gerontology.
D)ageism.

Question 49

AARP has endorsed

A)pension reforms.
B)voter registration campaigns.
C)nursing home reform.
D)All of these answers are correct.

Question 50

All societies have some system of age stratification and associate certain social roles with distinct periods in life.

Question 51

Paid employment after age 65 is

A)typical.
B)increasingly common.
C)becoming less common.
D)atypical.

Question 52

Social Security provides what proportion of income for people in the United States?

A)81 percent
B)59 percent
C)39 percent
D)21 percent

Question 53

Ageism is defined as

A)prejudicial and discriminatory behavior directed against the elderly.
B)the reflection of a deep uneasiness among young and middle-aged people about growing old.
C)domination and control by the elderly.
D)the scientific study of aging and the problems of the aged.

Question 54

Activity theory would imply that older married people have a higher risk of dying than those who live alone.

Question 55

Which sociological perspective would be likely to suggest that elderly minority women experience a double burden regarding income levels compared to non-Hispanic Whites?

A)functionalist perspective
B)conflict perspective
C)interactionist perspective
D)global perspective

Question 56

The federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)does which of the following?

A)Protects those over 30 from being fired due to age and replaced with younger,cheaper employees.
B)Protects those over 40 from being fired due to age and replaced with younger,cheaper employees.
C)Protects those under 30 from being fired due to age and replaced with older,cheaper employees.
D)Protects those under 18 from being fired due to age.

Question 57

The "act of bringing about the death of a hopelessly ill and suffering person in a relatively quick and painless way for reasons of mercy" is called

A)active euthanasia.
B)euthanasia.
C)activity theory.
D)gerontology.

Question 58

SAGE was established in 1977 to address the concerns of

A)elderly workers with regard to their rights.
B)elderly homosexuals.
C)elderly residents with regard to nursing home violations.
D)elderly victims of bank fraud.

Question 59

Anticipatory socialization for retirement is most systematic for White men,since they have most likely participated in a formal retirement preparation program.

Question 60

Unlike race or gender,age is not socially constructed.

Question 61

Describe the effects of ageism in the United States with regard to wealth,competition in the labor force,and the emergence of a collective conscience.Give examples to support your answer.

Question 62

Explain the phenomena of the "graying of America."

Question 63

Conflict theorists are interested in asking questions about the values raised by decisions involving physician-assisted suicides.

Question 64

Discuss the lengthening of life expectancy in the United States set against the backdrop of retirement and healthcare.What perspective as a society should we take,and what policies should be drafted in order to accommodate this growing older population?

Question 65

Describe the process for the social construction of aged roles in a society.Give some examples to support your answer.

Question 66

Discuss the controversial topic of physician-assisted suicide and attempt to present the issue from the various sociological perspectives (functionalist,conflict,etc. ).Do you think an individual should be given a choice "to die" within a society? Give your reasons.

Question 67

Identify some of the stages of the life course.How are these stages affected by social factors like class,race,and gender?

Question 68

The term euthanasia refers to the killing of children within a society.

Question 69

Define disengagement theory and discuss the controversy surrounding its implications.