Deck 9: An Aging Society

Question 1

The __________ perspective views the problems of the elderly as stemming from their lack of power to make institutions meet their needs.

A)functional
B)interactionist
C)conflict
D)social disorganization
E)social pathology

Answer 1

C

Question 2

One useful classification of those over age 65 in our population is to recognize the __________ elderly.

A)independent,dependent,and deceased
B)black,white,and yellow
C)wealthy,middle-income,and poor
D)working,welfare,and entrepreneurial
E)"young-old," "old-old," "oldest-old," and "frail"

Answer 2

E

Question 3

According to the text,as more people live longer,the greater __________.

A)the number of elderly people who remain alive but are unwell
B)the proportion of elderly people with major medical problems
C)the need for costly medical care
D)All of the above
E)None of the above

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Ageism as a social problem is also confounded with __________.

A)daily social contacts
B)industry
C)sexism
D)government
E)need for protection

Question 5

The social problems associated with certain age groups,especially the very young and the very old,are aggravated by three factors,which all have an impact on the roles assigned to people of different ages.Which of the following is NOT one of these?

A)social control
B)labeling
C)the concept of work as the basis of personal value
D)economic deprivation

Question 6

A devaluation of the elderly that results in discrimination against them is termed __________.

A)ageism
B)gerontologism
C)sexism
D)prejudice
E)scapegoating

Question 7

Many of the problems of the elderly in American society are due to changes brought about by industrialization and migration to urban areas.These changes have altered the nature of the social roles that elderly people play.This broad social transformation is called __________.

A)retrenchment
B)deindustrialization
C)transindustrialization
D)maturation
E)modernization

Question 8

According to the text,the aging of the baby boom cohorts is exerting major influences on society.Which of the following is NOT one of these?

A)the likelihood of increased conflict between the generations over scarce public resources
B)a decreased number of women in the labor force
C)increasing immigration to offset the loss of large numbers of retired people from national labor forces
D)changing attitudes toward youth,infirmity,and death
E)All of the above are influences mentioned in the text.

Question 9

In the year 2010,there were almost __________ million Americans over the age of 65.

A)10
B)20
C)30
D)40
E)55

Question 10

The __________ perspective sees the aged as being labeled by the stigmatizing term "elderly," devalued because they do not fit into a youth-oriented culture,and as victims of ageism.

A)interactionist
B)functional
C)conflict
D)social disorganization
E)social pathology

Question 11

The position of the elderly in the United States is MOST similar to __________.

A)young people who are not yet in the labor force
B)pregnant teenagers
C)working mothers
D)female-headed families
E)middle-aged females who work

Question 12

A major source of structural strain in societies is__________.

A)the development of common attitudes about the aging
B)the outcome of research on the effects of aging
C)the long-term failure of institutions to accommodate the increasing proportion of the population that is elderly
D)political organization by elderly persons
E)the fact that some people are older than others

Question 13

The main factors that affect a population's general "youth" or "age" are __________.

A)changes in the fertility rate
B)the infant mortality rate
C)the life expectancy of people at older ages
D)All of the above
E)None of the above

Question 14

During the last decade,the most rapid increases in the elderly population were among the __________.

A)young-old,those in their late 50s
B)oldest of the old,those over 85
C)old-old,those 60 to 75
D)elderly,those in their late 70s
E)frail,those over 100

Question 15

According to the text,which of the following is the most serious and pervasive form of ageism in the United States?

A)the lack of physicians specializing in treating the elderly
B)television portrayals of the elderly
C)personal beliefs about the elderly
D)advertising directed toward the elderly consumer
E)mandatory retirement

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT a manifestation of ageism in the United States?

A)Many people believe that the elderly are unattractive and useless.
B)The American government has aggressively pursued,passed,and enforced legislation that prevents discrimination against the elderly.
C)The medical community has had few trainees in geriatrics.
D)Television and the mass media portray the elderly in stereotyped ways.
E)Laws have been passed which mandate retirement at a certain age.

Question 17

The __________ perspective looks at aging as a problem attributable to changes in the working of basic institutions,such as how the family has been weakened by mobility and the shift to the nuclear family unit.

A)interactionist
B)conflict
C)functionalist
D)social organization
E)social pathology

Question 18

In the past decades,the economic status of the aged has improved such that the average income of the elderly is __________ percent of the comparable incomes of younger adults.

A)50
B)66
C)75
D)90
E)120

Question 19

The text points out that the proportion of the elderly in certain cities far exceeds the U.S.average of __________ percent.
A)21.6

A)8.4
B)12.8
C)18.4
E)24.8

Question 20

Segregating people into different groups or strata by age involves age __________.

A)identification
B)stratification
C)processing
D)mobility
E)integration

Question 21

What is referred to as primary aging involves ___________.

A)environmental factors causing aging
B)the growing old of one's primary groups
C)the aging that first occurs
D)molecular cellular changes
E)aging caused by the influence of primary groups

Question 22

Which of the following is NOT discussed in the text as a "concomitant" of aging?

A)problems acquiring health care
B)victimization by criminals
C)economic discrimination
D)political powerlessness
E)elder abuse

Question 23

Which of the following remain(s)unchanged until very late in life?

A)intellectual capacity
B)responses
C)reflexes
D)All of the above
E)None of the above

Question 24

__________ is the social-scientific study of the aged and the aging process.

A)Demography
B)Sociology
C)Geriatrics
D)Criminology
E)Gerontology

Question 25

Which of the following does the text identify as one of the most widely accepted stereotypes about the elderly?

A)Elderly people are independent and productive.
B)Elderly people are sexually inactive because of a lack of desire and a lack of capability.
C)Elderly people are politically powerful.
D)Elderly women are healthier than elderly men.
E)Most of those elderly who are widowed are female.

Question 26

According to the text,the potential power of the elderly in American society is "enormous" because __________.

A)we have had an elderly president
B)Social Security has made the elderly wealthy
C)the elderly control our major corporations
D)Congress is controlled by members who are over 70 years old
E)the elderly register and vote more frequently than the members of other age groups in the population

Question 27

According to the text's discussion of elder abuse,__________.

A)in recent testimony before Congress,it was estimated that there are fewer than 100,000 cases of physical abuse of elderly persons in the United States each year
B)mental and physical abuse of elderly people in the United States peaked in 1980 and has been declining during the past decade
C)there are very few reported cases of elder abuse in nursing homes and other institutional settings
D)All of the above
E)None of the above

Question 28

Which of the following is NOT a common myth and stereotype about the elderly?

A)Older people lose their mental faculties.
B)The elderly are sexually inactive.
C)Older women are hypochondriacs with more health problems than men.
D)Older women are confined to rocking chairs and knitting.
E)Older women have a strong sense of personal identity and independence.

Question 29

The elderly in the United States have a higher than average suicide rate.__________ seems to be the most important influence.

A)Reduced income
B)Declining health
C)A lack of social relationships
D)Criminal involvement
E)A loss of status

Question 30

Some social scientists argue that the elderly are not a true minority group because they do not exist as an independent subgroup.Therefore,they should be called a __________.

A)half-minority
B)dependent minority
C)dominant group
D)quasi-minority
E)majority group

Question 31

An annual federal survey of 20,000 people aged 65 and over showed a __________ in chronic disabilities in the 1980s and early 1990s.

A)huge increase
B)moderate increase
C)slight increase
D)steady decrease
E)fluctuation

Question 32

The aged in the United States can be considered a __________ group.

A)primary
B)minority
C)status
D)dominant
E)power

Question 33

Older men are almost __________ likely to commit suicide than are older women.

A)equally
B)twice as
C)three times as
D)five times as
E)ten times as

Question 34

__________ aging refers to an accelerated version of normal aging,caused by environmental factors.

A)Environmental
B)Abnormal
C)Primary
D)Acceleration
E)Secondary

Question 35

A study of suicides by elderly people in Florida determined that __________ are more likely to commit suicide than any other group.

A)married females
B)widowed males
C)married males
D)widowed females
E)single,never-married females

Question 36

The elderly frequently have difficulty adjusting to their new social role as aged persons.The most important reason for this difficulty is that __________.

A)they are experiencing disassociation related to senility
B)the ability to play roles diminishes with age
C)they lack positive role models and reference groups upon which they can pattern their behavior
D)physical stamina diminishes and they must stay at home
E)they suffer from illness

Question 37

There are two categories within the aging process,which are __________ aging and __________ aging.

A)primary;secondary
B)early;late
C)social;antisocial
D)near;tertiary
E)physical;physiological

Question 38

Sometimes,an older person appears to be senile.Instead,it may be that he or she is __________.

A)unconcerned
B)mentally ill
C)depressed
D)insane
E)apathetic

Question 39

Aging human beings experience a decline in their homeostatic capacity.This means that __________.

A)their sex drive diminishes
B)they have reduced ability to tolerate stress
C)their arteries develop deposits that impede blood flow
D)the capacities of their hearts diminish
E)they lose their sense of balance

Question 40

Probably the most important agent of secondary aging is __________.

A)stress
B)continuing to work
C)hardening of the arteries
D)declining memory capacity
E)losing one's physical stamina

Question 41

According to the text,___________ percent of Medicaid expenditures are for the care of the elderly.

A)35
B)48
C)52
D)63
E)75

Question 42

Over the next 25 years,the ratio of retirement-age people to working-age adults will __________.

A)fluctuate wildly
B)stabilize
C)decrease slightly
D)decrease substantially
E)undergo a substantial,steady increase

Question 43

Research indicates that,during the process of dying,a distinct pattern of feelings and behavior emerges.This is called the __________.

A)death syndrome
B)dying trajectory
C)dying course
D)pathway to death
E)death association

Question 44

In the United States today,about __________ people are in nursing homes.

A)250,000
B)1.5 million
C)24.7 million
D)53.4 million
E)70.6 million

Question 45

According to the text's discussion of grandparents raising grandchildren,__________.

A)nearly 40 percent have been caring for their grandchildren for five years or more
B)about 64 percent are women
C)about 20 percent live in poverty
D)All of the above
E)None of the above

Question 46

.Generally speaking,Americans have negative attitudes toward aging.According to the text,the most likely fundamental cause of these attitudes is the association of aging with __________.

A)retirement
B)ill health
C)too much leisure time
D)death
E)job loss

Question 47

Which of the following is an important reform addressed in the healthcare reform law of 2010 that addresses issues faced by the elderly?

A)HMOs and PPOs will take the place of Medicare.
B)Terminally ill patients and their caretakers will consult a government-appointed panel to seek the "best course of action" for their long-term treatment
C)Senior citizens will pay an extra $3200 per year for prescription medication,but receive $2000 in rebates thereafter..
D)Existing Medicare plans will be replaced with a national healthcare plan available to all.
E)Long-term care will be more affordable;the elderly may stay in their home of choice instead of moving to a nursing home.

Question 48

Which of the following is NOT one of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's stages in the dying process?

A)rejection and dismay
B)denial and isolation
C)bargaining and postponement
D)anger and resentment
E)depression and a sense of loss

Question 49

A major motivation for companies to retire employees is __________.

A)lower labor costs by replacing them with lower-paid younger workers
B)to reduce the amount of taxes they pay
C)they don't have to pay Social Security on younger workers
D)to give younger workers a chance to live out the American dream since retirement-age workers have largely failed
E)because the facts show that retirement-age workers are less productive and absent more frequently because of illness

Question 50

Primary social policy issues related to the situation of the elderly in the United States include all of the following EXCEPT __________.

A)health care
B)housing
C)Social Security
D)retirement
E)political participation

Question 51

Recently,the Social Security system has been modified in order to increase the retirement age after the turn of the century.The main reason for this action was to ___________.

A)end economic discrimination against the elderly
B)provide workers in what is expected to be an era of labor shortage
C)reduce financial pressure on the Social Security system
D)recognize the new retirement age that social scientists advocate for an older,healthier,population
E)ensure that the retirement age is indexed to life expectancy

Question 52

Special institutions designed for the terminally ill are called __________.

A)hospitals
B)convalescent homes
C)nursing homes
D)hospices
E)death residences

Question 53

Mitch Albom,a sports columnist at the Detroit Free Press,has written a book recording his insights about life and death.The title of Albom's book is __________.

A)On Death and Dying
B)The Final Course
C)Tuesdays with Morrie
D)Living for Death
E)Nights Are for Dying

Question 54

To address the problem of complaints concerning resident care in nursing homes,additional legislation was added to the healthcare reform law of 2010.They include: __________.

A)The Older Americans Act,the Nursing Home Improvement Act,and the Elder Transparency Act.
B)The Nursing Home Transparency and Improvement Act,the Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act,and the Elder Justice Act
C)The Medicare Donut Hole Gap Act,the Nursing Home Improvement Act,and the Elder Justice Act.
D)The Organization for the Elderly Act,the Elder Retired Persons Act,and the Nursing Home Improvement Act.
E)None of the above.

Question 55

Most elderly people in the United States who live alone do so because __________.

A)there is no space in nursing homes
B)they are forced to do so by their children
C)they choose to do so
D)they can't afford other housing
E)they can't draw Social Security

Question 56

The official title of the 2010 healthcare reform law is the __________.

A)Older Americans Act
B)Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
C)Patient Protection and Transparency Improvement Act
D)Nursing Home Protection and Affordable Care Act
E)Elder Retired Protection and Transparency Act.

Question 57

To be black,female,and old in American society places an individual in what the text calls a state of multiple __________.

A)dependency
B)jeopardy
C)choice
D)ethnicity
E)characteristics

Question 58

About __________ of the elderly have private health insurance in addition to Medicare.

A)one-fourth
B)one-third
C)one-half
D)two-thirds
E)three-fourths

Question 59

Although as a whole,the elderly have made economic gains,this is NOT true of aged __________.

A)blacks
B)males
C)whites
D)Protestants
E)Japanese Americans

Question 60

The healthcare reform law passed in 2010 closes the __________ in Medicare Part D prescription drug insurance.

A)"donut hole" or Medicare gap
B)amount of Social Security compensation
C)matter of national health care
D)housing and retirement gap
E)none of the above

Question 61

How have social changes associated with industrialization changed the role played by the elderly in American society?

Question 62

It has been charged that the mass media,especially television,reinforces ageism with their depictions of the elderly.Provide some examples of this.Then,give some examples where television content portrays the elderly as alert,competent,and productive.

Question 63

Which identifiable subgroups of the elderly can be identified in the United States? How are the elderly distributed geographically,economically,etc.?

Question 64

Are the aged a minority group? Why or why not?

Question 65

There are physiological,psychological,and social/cultural dimensions of aging.What can one expect to experience in these areas as one ages?

Question 66

The main source of income for the elderly is from __________.

A)investments
B)Social Security
C)wages
D)private pension plans
E)welfare payments

Question 67

What are the arguments for and against mandatory retirement? Are any of them convincing? Comment on the fact that most mandatory retirement laws have been repealed in the United States.

Question 68

A recent survey by the Yankelovich polling firm found that people 60 years old today have an actuarial life expectancy of

A)72.3
B)82.3
C)92.3
D)100.3
E)101.3

Question 69

What beliefs are central to ageism? What does ageism produce for the elderly?

Question 70

__________ is financed by fixed wage and payroll taxes based on the first $90,600 of annual income.

A)Aid to Families with Dependent Children
B)Medicaid
C)The federal income tax
D)Social Security
E)The state income tax

Question 71

Do you think people should have the right to die? What are your reactions to physician-assisted suicide?

Question 72

What are the major myths and stereotypes about the elderly? What does the evidence show about each of the myths you describe?

Question 73

The text points out that probably the most controversial doctor in the United States today is __________.

A)Jack Kevorkian
B)George Nichopolis
C)Thomas Szasz
D)Thomas Scheff
E)William J.Wilson
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Question 74

In 2010,the average monthly Social Security benefit was _______.

A)$3200 for retired workers,$1067.40 for disabled workers,and $2064 for widows
B)$9600 for retired workers,$3200 for disabled workers,and $ 3064 for widows
C)$1102 for retired workers,$1067 for disabled workers,and $1064 for widows
D)$2000 for retired workers,$2100 for disabled workers,and $1067 for widows
E)None of the above.