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Ageing is an unstoppable process in all human lives, perceived in biological, psychological or sociological dimensions. However, the concept of old age is related not as much to biological reasons but the sociological concept. Various social theories explain the complex relationships between elderly people and the societies they live in. This paper aims to describe three of those theories as we compare and contrast them.
The main idea of disengagement theory is based on the gradual limitation of social or professional responsibilities due to old age. The older the person gets, the less socially engaged he/she becomes. This is done for an older person to enjoy life with lower stress levels as elderly people are more vulnerable, and exposure to prior workloads may be overwhelming to their health. Limiting unsatisfactory social is also done to reduce stress and enhance life satisfaction. However, the theory has been criticized for being unnatural and not beneficial.
The second theory is the continuity theory, which is opposite to the statements of disengagement theory. Its main idea is to maintain or minimize the reduction of activities of elderly people. In addition elderly people tend to live their lives according to their past experiences and habits. However, those activities meaning and focus are changing to be more relaxed and less intense (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2018). The activity theory argues that disengagement from society is not natural and not caused by desire but by the barriers created by society.
The third theory is called the role theory, and it suggests that the way people perceive themselves is closely related to their social roles. By depriving elderly people of their previous social ties, the disengagement concept deprives them of the self-conception related to those ties. However, disengagement is inevitable as death and distance are often associated with old age.
Reference
Kail, R. V., & Cavanaugh, J. C. (2018). Human development: A life-span view. Cengage Learning.
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