Sociology Unit 1A Definitions Topic 10

Front 1

What does Bradley break age down into?

Back 1

Bradley suggests there are five main life stages. These are childhood, youth, young adulthood, midlife andold age.Whilst there may be broad agreement on the existence of these groups or generations (an age group with a common experience) it is not clear at which age each begins and ends, nor exactly which norms and values each group has.

Front 2

What does Bradley argue?

Back 2

-Within each age group there will be divisions such as gender, ethnicity and social class. These divisions may be more powerful than age in terms of which people they identify with.

-The agents of socialisation may have varying effects on different age groups.(For example,Youth have also been targeted by the media, whilst the media has been accused of ignoring the older generation. Middle aged influenced by their parents while acting as role model for children so doubly experiencing family as agent of socialization.)

Front 3

What did the TheMarxists group the CCCS (The Centrefor Contemporary Cultural Studies) want to study and why?

Back 3

They wanted to look at how working class youth were rebelling against capitalism in the 1970s. They believed that working class youth subcultures could be analysed or interpreted to understand their underlying meaning (a process called semiotics).

Front 4

What were the CCCS's arguments as a result?

Back 4

-They believed members of mod and skinhead youth subcultures in the East End of London dressed in an aggressive way (Doc Martin boots, tattoos, piercings) to symbolise their defence of their territory which they believed was under attack from ethnic minority immigrants.

-The style of mods and rockers was also used as a resistance to the erosion of the working class traditions and the declining job opportunities in their community.

Front 5

What was Stahn Cohen study about,what was it called?

Back 5

Stan Cohen (1972) wrote a book called 'folks devils and moral panics', which was a study of mods and rockers and the media.. Disturbances involving mods and rockers took place in Clacton and Brighton in 1964.

Front 6

What did Stan Cohen argue about how events spiraled out of control?

Back 6

Cohen noted that the media (newspapers) exaggerated the level of crime and deviance that happened on those days. Media coverage led to considerable public concern with mods and rockers> This set in motion a deviancy amplification spiral, meaning the police made more arrests, the media reported more deviance, and young people were more likely to identify with either mods or rockers>Further disturbances followed on subsequent Bank Holidays. Cohen claimedthat the reaction of the media to events in Clacton generated a moralpanic.

( Cohen claimed that the reaction of the media events in Clacton generated a moral panic.)

Front 7

What is a moral panic

Back 7

A moral panic occurs when 'a condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests'

Front 8

What did Stan Cohen argue the exaggeration took place because of?

Back 8

The mods and rockers, and other youth groups were singled out as 'folk devils, meaning a person or group of people who are portrayed in folklore or the media as outsiders and deviant, and who are blamed for crimes or other sorts of social problems.

Cohen concludedthat themods and rockers served as symbols of what was wrong with youth and they were blamed for societies problems (scapegoats –somebody blamed for problems

Front 9

Why was Stan Cohens study signifcant?

Back 9

Cohens work is hugely influential as he was the first sociologist to identify the way in which the media create rather than simply report news.

Marxists have used his research to imply that the media is controlled by the ruling class and youth groups are used as scapegoats.

Front 10

What was Blaikies argument?

Back 10

Blaikie identifies middle age as being associated with the following three criteria: maturity, independence, and responsibility. Middle age people are expected to demonstrate these in all aspects of their lives, they are likely to have high status at work and demonstrate responsibility, and they are more likely to live independently or have a family.

Front 11

What are criticisms of Blaikie?

Back 11

Middle age is more difficult to study as its less dramatic than being young or old. This time period is not associated with disadvantage but privilege. Blaikie's points may be hard to generalize to a group which is very diverse and not exactly defined.

Front 12

What do Hockey and James argue in regards to their key word?

Back 12

-Old people are treated like children by their families (INFANTILISATION) in a role reversal in which parents become dependent on children.

-They are spoken to differently and people take control of their lives

-24 hour care may be needed like that of a child if they suffer from Alzheimers

Front 13

What do Hockey and James say about old peoples homes they visited?

Back 13

-Infantilisation high in homes were elderly were afforded low status and seen as 'simple'.

Staff gave out pocket money, and controlled bed times and meal choices, just as a parent may do a child life.

Front 14

What did Philipson et al identify has changed in the social life of old people in the past 50 years?

Back 14

-Over the last 50 years there has been a shift from old age being experienced within the family group to old age being shaped within personal communities in which friends may be as important as immediate family.

-Increasing numbers of older people live alone, or just with a partner, and fewer live in households containing more than one generation.

-Children and other relatives often lived nearby, but were more dispersed and many older people named friends and neighbours among those they were closest to.

Front 15

What did Philipson et al identify has changed in the general life of older people in the past 50 years?Leisure,activity,work

Back 15

In one area older people seemed to have lost the strong sense of community it had had in the 1950s, so that somepeople were afraid to go out, especially at night.

The main leisure activitytoday is reading, gardening andlooking after the house, while television has become important for many olderpeople.

People are active in old age, but the activity is often in a particularand narrow social world. Work becomes focused unpaid work – both domestic and voluntary work. The contributionof older people to the charity and voluntary sector was significant both in terms of their value to wider society and the importance of such work to the individuals’ sense of self-worth and identity.

Front 16

Possible criticism of Philipson et al and Hockey and James?

Back 16

Many older people experience ageism which refers to stereotyping and discriminating against individuals or groups on the basis of their age. This is especially acute in employment as older people are forced to retire at 65 when they may well enjoy and offer a lot to companies for many years past this age.

Front 17

What does Featherstone and Hepworth argue?

Back 17

-Old people are expected to act in accordance with stereotypes of old age like knitting by fire

-Increasing numbers deciding to cast of 'mask of the old' and refuse to conform to these identities but choose lively activities like exotic holidays, and salsa dancing.

-This ability to be lively does depend on consumer power which middle class older people can afford while working class pensioners in some case suffer poverty in later life.

Front 18

What are criticisms of Featherstone and Hepworth? Possibly also Philipson and Hockey and James.

Back 18

In the past old people understood the norms associated with being old and were respected for their role in society. Since the 1980's in western societies there is a cult of youth as society teaches us to celebrate and preserve youth as if it was more precious than gold. There is a huge array of projects to aid this preserving. Old age is often pictured as something to be pitied , the media circulates images of old people as physically unattractive,sexually inactive, and chronically ill.

Front 19

What is youth?

Back 19

Youth is a modern invention from the beggining of the 19th century withcompulsory education and conscription into the armed forces with worldwars. However, youth as we know it todaybegan after WW2 in the 1950s when the economy was growing and young people hadsome disposable income. Trends in both fashion and music were taken up by peoplefrom 15 -25 so that they were easily distinguishable by their looks and theirinterests.

Front 20

Criticisms of Cohen?

Back 20

-Although youth subcultures are a way foryouth people to express themselves and be different, ironically they end upjust following a different set of norms. Tattoos for example have become sopopular that at ¼ of Americans have them.

-Feminists highlight that subculturalwork such as this often ignores the role of women.

Front 21

What is Middle age?

Back 21

-Middleage occurs when someone is in their 40’sand 50’s, norms and values may orientate that person around work andfamily.

-Negotiating care for parents and children so family is important agent of socialisation

-Work is valued bc usually working in demanding jobs, rewarded high status

Front 22

What is old age?

Back 22

-In the past life expectancy lower, people died earlier, old age much younger(18thc 40/ 50)

-Britain has an ageing population because old people is fastest growing group in the UK

-this meansthat ‘old age’ is being redefined by large numbers of ‘younger-old’ who areretired yet do not conform to the norms and values associated with the‘older-old’.

Front 23

What does Pilcher argue?

Back 23

Postmodernist Jane Pilcher concludes that divisionsand distinctions between all age groups are increasingly being broken down or blurred. For example, parents, theirteenage children, and their old aged grandparents may share the same clothestaste and leisure pursuits.

Front 24

Criticisms of Pilcher?

Back 24

While postmodernists may be right that age identityis changing, very often they overestimate the freedom and choice available topeople. Being able to express yourselfwith different styles and activities does depend on income; disadvantagedgroups like working class young and old people may hindered from the socialchange other wealthier groups may be experiencingl:`tI