In the article, "America's Aging
Population" I noted the age span used to defined baby boomers. It always amazes me how the age span is
different depending on which article you're reading. Having been born in 1962, I hardly considered
myself a baby boomer. I immediately
noted that this article included my age group which offended me. I've always considered my parents to be baby
boomers, and my generation the one that will support them while generation X
comes up with a better plan for their retirement.
The
article did bring up many points about how other cultures take care of their
elderly. In addition to many statistics
about life expectancy between the genders, races, and even social standings,
the information contained interesting facts about cultures and roles of women
within those areas. I was not very
surprised by the numbers, or the closing gap between men and women. It gave good information about living healthier
lifestyles and how that contributes to living longer.
In the
text, "Is There A Double Standard Of Aging?: Older Men And Women And Ageism" by
Chetna Narayan, it discussed the term "ageism." I never put a lot of thought into the need
for a word for growing older, but the definition developed by Butler made sense
for its time, specifically 1969. It
describes the biases and discrimination directed toward the elderly. The results from the Aging Semantic
Differential (ASD) didn't surprise me. I
do feel that the term does need to be redefined. The results of the survey should be an
indication that not all people are compelled to believe the bias' out
there. I did appreciate how the headings
to the surveys may have affected the results, but seeing the numbers listed, I
don't think it an accurate assessment. I
believe the locations the surveys were conducted would have had a greater
influence. For example, the central plains
where religion is heavily regarded would make me believe they take better care
of their elderly than the Northeast, where the pace is much faster.
Finally,
I liked Susan Sontag's "The Double Standard of Aging." She discusses the differences men and women
face when aging. I found it interesting
that she felt women feel more anxious and aware of their mortality than
men. Also that woman hesitates when
asked to reveal their age as if it would create a problem for her in the eyes
of the person asking. I do believe there
is a double standard, but some of those barriers are slowly coming down. No longer is it just the silver foxes having
a good time. Welcome to the age of the
cougar and the empowerment of older women.
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