Ch 10 Inequalities of Age and Gender Key Terms

activity theory: the view that satisfaction during old age is related to a person's level and quality of activity (p.274)

age cohort: people born at roughly the same time who pass through the life course together (p.273)

ageism: prejudice, discrimination, and hostility directed against people because of their age; can be directed against any age group, including youth (p.272)

continuity theory: the focus of this theory is how people adjust to retirement by continuing aspects of their lives, such as roles or coping techniques (p.275)

dependency ratio: the ratio of the number of workers required to support dependent persons (those

65 and over, those 15 and under, and others who may be on Social Security, Medicaid, or other government supported programs) (p.276)

disengagement theory: the view that society prevents disruption by having the elderly vacate (or

disengage from) their positions of responsibility so the younger generation can step into their shoes

(p.273)

feminism: the philosophy that men and women should be politically, economically, and socially equal; organized activity on behalf of this principle (p.254)

gender: the behavior and attitudes that a society considers proper for its males and females; masculinity or femininity (p.246)

gender stratification: males' and females' unequal access to power, prestige, and property on the basis of their sex (p.246)

graying of America: refers to the growing proportion of older people as a percentage of the U.S. population (p.270)

life expectancy: the number of years that an average newborn can expect to live (p.270) life span: the maximum possible length of life of a species (p.270)

patriarchy: a society or group in which men dominate women; authority is invested in males

(p.252)

quiet revolution the fundamental changes in society that follows when vast numbers of women enter the work force (p.258)

sex: biological characteristics that distinguish females and males, consisting of primary and secondary sex characteristics (p.246)

sexual harassment: the abuse of one's position of authority to force unwanted sexual demands on someone (p.263)