Answer to Question 1
Some analysts have suggested the following:
(1 ) In early U.S. society, growing old was seen as an accomplishment; younger people listened to the advice of the elderly about how to live to be old. The elderly continued to work, and because work was relatively unaffected by changes in technology (i.e., the pace of work and mechanization was slower), the elderly were viewed as teachers of the work skills needed.
(2 ) With industrialization, however, more people reached old age, so it was no longer seen as a major accomplishment. Mass production coupled with mass education meant that the unique knowledge gained through long experience no longer needed to be shared with the young. The need to respect the elderly was eliminated, and society began to view the elderly as useless liabilities rather than strong assets.
(3 ) The meaning of old age is once again shifting due to the increasing wealth of the United States. Because of the large numbers of baby boomers and the power of their economic clout, we are likely to see a shift to a more positive image of the elderly.
Answer to Question 2
We can construct labels of aging based on four elements:
(1 ) biological changes, using physical factors such as wrinkled skin, balding, or aches and pains as signs of aging;
(2 ) personal history or biography e.g., using life events such as having children or grandchildren as defining moments that indicate aging;
(3 ) gender age, involving different interpretations of biological changes that society assigns to men and to women, such as gray hair being seen as a sign of a mature man but an old woman;
(4 ) cultural timetables, referring to the signals a society uses to inform people that they are old, such as mandatory retirement age, a particular birthday, or the inability to fulfill one's roles.
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