Question 1

What is the moral economy of aging? Give an example to illustrate this approach.

Accepted Answer

• The moral economy of aging is an addition to the political economy perspective, from a critical theory approach.
• It refers to the shared moral assumptions that underlie norms of reciprocity in a society. The moral economy approach makes explicit the cultural beliefs and values that underlie social policies and practices that affect older adults.
• For example, the Canadian moral economy has valued equity and access to health care for all, including older people, far more than that of the United States.

Question 2

A major pitfall of research in productive aging is

Accepted Answer

A)   the concept of productive aging is too restrictive
B)   the lack of a unified concept of productive aging
C)   the conceptual foundations of productive aging are too strong
D)   the fact that older people are not generally productive
E)   the theoretical foundations of productive aging are too strong B

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT a criticism of activity theory?

Accepted Answer

A)   it does not take into account social interaction that people require to become active as they age
B)   it does not take into consideration the meanings that different people attribute to different activities
C)   it assumes that psychological and social needs are stable over the adult years
D)   it assumes that individuals have a high degree of control over their social situation
E)   it has not been able to generate a generally agreed-upon conceptualization and measurement of activity A

Question 4

The second basic process in age stratification theory is individual aging, which refers to

Accepted Answer

A)   decline in cognition
B)   decline is psychomotor functioning
C)   the physiological and maturational changes that occur over time
D)   all of the factors that help to shape the age strata
E)   a number of factors such as cultural values, economic conditions and health, that affect aging

Question 5

Chose a micro theory and a macro theory from the social gerontological theories and explain each theory. Discuss the differences and similarities of the two theories. What makes the micro-macro distinction important? Describe a theory that has been used to link the micro-macro levels.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Chose a micro theory and a macro...

Question 6

Which of the following statements is one of the problems with disengagement theory?

Accepted Answer

A)   the theory is easy to disconfirm which is not a desirable quality for a theory
B)   it is widely criticized for assuming that disengagement is inevitable, functional, and universal
C)   the concept of disengagement is so broad that there may be many different types of disengagement, both psychological and social, requiring a lot of empirical testing
D)   it pays close attention to what the older individual might be thinking or feeling
E)   the theory suggests the degree of disengagement depends on class structure

Question 7

Which of the following would be considered grand theories in gerontology?

Accepted Answer

A)   disengagement theory and postmodernism
B)   disengagement theory and life course perspective
C)   modernization theory and postmodernism
D)   disengagement theory and modernization theory
E)   postmodernism and life course perspective

Question 8

The life course perspective is considered the dominant perspective within social gerontology at the present time. This perspective has its theoretical roots in

Accepted Answer

A)   role theory
B)   modernization theory
C)   continuity theory
D)   age stratification theory
E)   social exchange theory

Question 9

Activity theory assumes

Accepted Answer

A)   that older people do not want to be active
B)   that older people naturally withdraw from social life
C)   that people who are active will be more satisfied and better adjusted than less active people
D)   that people who are less active will be more satisfied and better adjusted than more active people
E)   that socioeconomic, lifestyle, and generational variables may not be more important than maturational ones

Question 10

Some research suggests a social class dimension to disengagement theory. According to a study, which professionals tended to be very much psychologically engaged in their profession in later life?

Accepted Answer

A)   retired accountants
B)   retired care salesmen
C)   retired university professors
D)   retired police officers
E)   retired factor workers

Question 11

What is the difference between normative and interpretive theorizing? What are the consequences of making this distinction?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the difference between normative and...

Question 12

Identify and briefly discuss the three barriers to theory development in gerontology.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Identify and briefly discuss the three barriers...

Question 13

The three major foci of social gerontology are

Accepted Answer

A)   theory, research, and practice
B)   micro theories, meso theories, and macro theories
C)   the aged, aging as a process, and age as a dimension of social structure
D)   the aging population, biological aging, and social aging
E)   the aged, biological aging, and psychological aging

Question 14

Discuss the links between theory in gerontology and in other disciplines. Is there a "uniquely" gerontological theory?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss the links between theory in gerontology...

Question 15

Critical gerontology has its roots in all of the following EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)   structural functionalism
B)   humanities
C)   feminism
D)   neo-marxism
E)   postmodernism

Question 16

How have social gerontological theories evolved over time? Describe the transition from earlier to emergent theories, using examples to illustrate theories from each phase. Has the focus changed? If so, how?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How have social gerontological theories evolved over...

Question 17

Which of the following is not one of the premises of the political economy of aging?

Accepted Answer

A)   social policy reflects the dominant belief system that is crucial in enforcing, bolstering, and extending, structured inequalities in the wider economic, political, and social order
B)   the strong influences of intrapersonal factors to the normal health-related changes that are part of growing old, place some constraints on what older people are capable of doing
C)   the social structure shapes how older people are perceived and how they perceive themselves
D)   the labels applied to the elderly and social policy shape the experience of old age
E)   social policy and the politics of aging mirror wider social inequalities and power struggles

Question 18

What are the two "camps" on the status of theory in gerontology? Briefly discuss each view.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are the two "camps" on the...

Question 19

Discuss the productive aging perspective. How has it been used? What are some problems with its use?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss the productive aging perspective. How has...

Question 20

The postmodern challenge rests on a number of interrelated propositions. Identify and briefly describe each proposition.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The postmodern challenge rests on a number...

Exam 3: Social Theory in Gerontology