Unique focuses on perceptions
This study focuses on the discourse of aging. Its premise is that aging is a label, a symbol, and a myth of cultural stereotypes that is part of the condition of growing old in American society. One of the main goals of the research was to identify some features of aging talk, on the theory that aging is a world of cultural meaning. This book explores the language that governs the myth of aging, including ageism, age grading, senility, and functional aging, as well as the properties of this myth, the occasions when the myth creates tension, and its mode of expression. The study is unique because it addresses conceptions of aging rather than behaviors. The author interviewed people in the community, used participant observation, and analyzed media texts.
Aging as a function of lossof independence
The study found that aging is more closely associated with a loss of independence than with chronological age in American society. Independence is associated with certain forms of behavior related to family and financial status. The ways in which tensions are created and their expressed is tied in with the structural aspects that shape patterns of independence and their link to other variables, such as health and activity. The author finds that aging does not occur at a precise time and in precise categories, but rather through a shift in behavior. This shift is generally manifested by a deviation in the health status of the individual. It was found that labels indirectly affect health teams' image of the aging individual, which can lead to an inadequate assessment of their clients' needs.
