Social Disengagement Theory Of Aging Essay
Effects Of Ageing
There first theory of ageing is social disengagement theory this is when the individual has a withdrawal of involvement. Many psychologists have studied this but the most known are henry (1961) this is common in older people because elderly people aren’t as mobile as they were when they were older so it’s harder for them to meet up with their friends and have opportunities. There can be many reasons for this:
Ill Health- When an individual falls ill they may not be fully able to go outdoors and they might have a vision and hearing impairment which can make it difficult to see and also hear what people are saying.
Retirement- When certain elderly people retire they may start to lose contact with their friends which can result …show more content…
in social disengagement theory.
Activity Theory
The activity suggests that when elderly people are still mobile and are still able to go and visit family or friends and keep busy and have a routine.
It also suggests that the ageing process is delayed and that the quality of life that the individual has is enhanced when old people remain socially active.
An individual who is most likely to get to get social disengagement theory would be a person who has got a disability because they are less mobile and it would be harder for them to get around to see their friends. Also if they were out with their friends they could go for a meal but there might not be room for wheelchair access which could make it a problem for the wheelchair to maneuverer.
An individual who would most likely have the activity theory would be a person whose spouse might have died or someone who has just retired because they will have a lot of free time on their hands because they will be able to go out with their friends more often than someone whose husband is sick and they have to care for him.
The physical and psychological changes that might be associated with ageing are wrinkling of the skin, hair thinning, age spots and loss of mobility. The psychological changes of ageing would be you would be prone to more illness and diseases such as depression, delirium and
dementia.
Wrinkles appear as a result of the skin becoming less elastic. It can be worse if you have exposed your skin to sun because this can damage your skin over a period of years. Also if you are a smoker then this can damage your skin and can make your skin appear more wrinkled which could then make you look older. Woman’s hair can become thinning as a result of getting older and can become grey, also they can start getting facial hair around the chin which is due to a lack of oestrogen but it can happen in men as well this is due to a decrease in testosterone.
Another physical change is eyesight which worsens as you become older due to muscles getting weaker and can lead to macular degeneration. Teeth can become loose and might have to be removed meaning you might have to wear dentures.
Psychological changes can be lack of confidence and this could be because there facial appearance is changing, hair colour has gone and also they may not want to smile because they have dentures which could make them feel embarrassed when they are going out for a meal because they might not be able to eat certain foods which could make their teeth fall out. They might also feel useless as they start to age because they might feel like they are no longer needed around their family and this can affect their self esteem.
There first theory of ageing is social disengagement theory this is when the individual has a withdrawal of involvement. Many psychologists have studied this but the most known are henry (1961) this is common in older people because elderly people aren’t as mobile as they were when they were older so it’s harder for them to meet up with their friends and have opportunities. There can be many reasons for this:
Ill Health- When an individual falls ill they may not be fully able to go outdoors and they might have a vision and hearing impairment which can make it difficult to see and also hear what people are saying.
Retirement- When certain elderly people retire they may start to lose contact with their friends which can result …show more content…
in social disengagement theory.
Activity Theory
The activity suggests that when elderly people are still mobile and are still able to go and visit family or friends and keep busy and have a routine.
It also suggests that the ageing process is delayed and that the quality of life that the individual has is enhanced when old people remain socially active.
An individual who is most likely to get to get social disengagement theory would be a person who has got a disability because they are less mobile and it would be harder for them to get around to see their friends. Also if they were out with their friends they could go for a meal but there might not be room for wheelchair access which could make it a problem for the wheelchair to maneuverer.
An individual who would most likely have the activity theory would be a person whose spouse might have died or someone who has just retired because they will have a lot of free time on their hands because they will be able to go out with their friends more often than someone whose husband is sick and they have to care for him.
The physical and psychological changes that might be associated with ageing are wrinkling of the skin, hair thinning, age spots and loss of mobility. The psychological changes of ageing would be you would be prone to more illness and diseases such as depression, delirium and
dementia.
Wrinkles appear as a result of the skin becoming less elastic. It can be worse if you have exposed your skin to sun because this can damage your skin over a period of years. Also if you are a smoker then this can damage your skin and can make your skin appear more wrinkled which could then make you look older. Woman’s hair can become thinning as a result of getting older and can become grey, also they can start getting facial hair around the chin which is due to a lack of oestrogen but it can happen in men as well this is due to a decrease in testosterone.
Another physical change is eyesight which worsens as you become older due to muscles getting weaker and can lead to macular degeneration. Teeth can become loose and might have to be removed meaning you might have to wear dentures.
Psychological changes can be lack of confidence and this could be because there facial appearance is changing, hair colour has gone and also they may not want to smile because they have dentures which could make them feel embarrassed when they are going out for a meal because they might not be able to eat certain foods which could make their teeth fall out. They might also feel useless as they start to age because they might feel like they are no longer needed around their family and this can affect their self esteem.