Senior Center: Taboos Of The Elderly

I observed a local senior center on a weekday afternoon. The demographic of this area was mainly the elderly and some younger workers. There were occasional visitors and the ages ranged from young children to old adults. The mood of the senior center was for the most part emotionless. The workers were friendly and nice toward the elderly. The mood of the elderly varied drastically from some being super happy and enthusiastic, to being emotionless and the occasional moaning or crying. Using the conflict perspective I observed that the elderly start to lose control over their own lives as they age and eventually have no say in what happens to them. “Conflict perspectives: the sociological approach that views groups in societies as engaged
“Taboos are mores so strong that their violation is considered to be extremely offensive and even unmentionable.” (Kendall 69). This taboo is seen as extremely offensive although it is not illegal.
In my observation, the residents of the senior center have their own sub culture. “A subculture is a category of people who share distinguishing attributes, beliefs, values, and/or norms.” (Kendall 72). Their subculture is mainly formed by being in a common area and partaking in the same activities. The elderly also form their own sub culture by the way they talk and act. The generational divide between us and the elderly makes their culture the sub culture.
Some examples of socialization I observed were the elderly being told where they are and what they need to do to be healthy. “Socialization is the lifelong process of social interaction through which individuals acquire a self-identity and the physical, mental, and social skills needed for survival in society.” (Kendall 87). Since the elderly are sometimes not very sharp mentally they have to be told where they are so they do not get scared or freak out. Some examples of the elderly being told what they need to do be healthy are being told to exercise and to get proper
“Social interaction is the process by which people act toward or respond to other people and is the foundation for all relationships and groups in society.” (Kendall 116). Some examples being the elderly communication with each other, the staff communicating with each other, the elderly communicating with the staff, and the elderly communicating with visitors.
I did observe behavior that would be considered deviant in our society but was seen as a norm in the senior center. “Deviance is any behavior, belief, or condition that violates significant social norms in the society or group in which it occurs.” (Kendall 174). Some examples of behavior our society would consider deviant would be not eating your meal, refusing to accept help from staff and making a mess in your room. When observing race and ethnicity in the senior center I noticed that some Native American and Hispanic elderly residents couldn’t speak English. “Race and ethnicity take on great social significance because how people act in regards to these terms drastically affects other people’s lives…” (Kendall 269). Besides language I didn’t observe any significant impact race had at the nursing