Chapter 12 : Culture and Society

As you have learned in this chapter, the population of the United States is aging. This is largely the result of two long-term demographic trends: improvements in life expectancy and declines in fertility. We use the term "the graying of America" to describe what is happening. The U.S. is not the only country undergoing such changes; given the link between the level of economic development and changes in the quality of life and patterns of childbearing, it should be no surprise that other industrialized nations are currently experiencing the same transformation. Furthermore, as low-income nations experience economic development over the coming decades, it is expected that their populations will also begin to age in the later part of this century. What does all this mean for individuals, for societies, and for the world as a whole? In this exercise you will be able to explore that question as you first look more closely at residential patterns of senior citizens in the U.S. and then compare the population patterns for nations at different stages of economic development

Part I:

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of the U.S. continues to age, to the point that by the middle of the 21 st century it is estimated that one in five Americans will be 65 years of age or older. Not surprisingly, our largest states are the ones with the largest number of elderly. At the same time, the states with the greatest proportion of elderly are generally different from those with the greatest number. Table 1 provides information on the top ten states in terms of the number of people aged 65 and over and the top ten states in terms of the percentage of residents 65 and over in relation to the state's population as a whole.

Writing Assignment 1:

As you look at the numbers, do you see any patterns in terms of where people aged 65 and older are living? What are some of the challenges faced by states with large numbers of senior citizens? If your state is not one of the ones listed there, click on the link to the to the information source for the table and find out where your state stands in terms of the national ranking.

Nationally, 12 percent of our population is 65 years or older. What are some of the special challenges facing states in which the senior population is higher than the national average? When you look at the list of the top ten states with the highest percentage of older residents, what do they have in common?

As the population aged 65 and older continues to grow, some states are experiencing a more dramatic increase in the number of older residents than others. For instance, in 2000, Nevada ranked 36 th in terms of the number of residents aged 65 and older, but had experienced a 72 percent increase in the years between 1990 and 2000. Arizona, ranked 18 th , saw its population of older residents increase by 40 percent during this period. Alaska, while ranked 50 th in terms of the number of older residents, experienced a 60 percent increase.

Writing Assignment 2:

Look at the top ten states in terms of the percentage change. What general conclusions can you make in terms of the characteristics of these states? What is it that is drawing older people to these areas?

The authors of your textbook talk about the three dimensions of aging: biological, psychological, and social. As you think about the growth of the population aged 65 and older, in what ways do you think our understanding of the aging process and the aged will change? What new social demands will be created in the years to come? In particular, how will our society respond to increased social isolation, rising health costs, and the funding of government programs like Medicare and Social Security?

Part II:

Now let's look at what has been happening in other nations around the globe. Pick five other High-Income Nations, five Middle-Income Nations and five Low-Income Nations.

1. Go to the United Nations World Population Prospects: The 2002 Revision Population Database site.
2. For each high-income country you've chosen, highlight its name from the list; you can select all five at once by locating the selected country on the list and then holding down the "ctrl" button as you click on the country's name with your mouse.
3. Next, select "Medium variant" among the options available. If you want to read more about the different levels of variants used in deriving the statistics, you can click on "Assumptions."
4. Select "2000" for the Start Year and then click "Display.".

Record the information on the projections of the growth of the population aged 65 and older for each of them, the median age, and life expectancy at birth (See Table 2). Repeat your steps for each of these five high-income nations, this time selecting "2020" for the year. Once you have finished, you will have to go back and follow the same steps in order to get information for the five Middle-Income Nations and then five Low-Income Nations you've chosen.

Writing Assignment 3:

Once you have finished, look at what you've recorded. Is the percentage of the population aged 65 and older increasing in all of the nations you looked at? Where are the greatest increases? Where are the smallest ones? What do these changes mean in terms of the quality of life for individuals and for society? What differences are there between nations at different levels of economic development?

One could argue that one of the reasons age was revered in traditional societies was because so few people reached old age. As the percentage of older people increases, do you think that cultural views about aging and the aged population will change?

Another factor that may contribute to differences in attitudes is social class. To investigate this, we need to also identify the respondents’ social class. In the GSS, respondents were asked, “If you were asked to use one of four names for your social class, which would you say you belong in: the lower class, the working class, the middle class, or the upper class?” What differences in attitudes towards immigration do you think there will be between these social classes? Will people who are lower or working classes be more or less opposed than people from the middle or upper classes? What would a research hypothesis be?   Table 3 provides the results of cross-tabulating social class and attitudes towards immigration. 

Part III:

Writing Assignment 4/Essay:

What are your own experiences with the elderly? Are your grandparents still living? Are they leading active lives? What do you hope your own life will be like when you have reached old age? Write a short reflection piece in which you discuss what you see as our society's changing views on aging. Also, consider the ways in which globalization may contribute to a diffusion of attitudes about and policies towards the aged in different societies.