CSA The Sociology of Aging 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best describes 'cumulative disadvantage' as it applies to aging?
- The idea that cognitive losses accelerate exponentially after age 80
- Early-life inequalities in health and resources compound over the life course, widening gaps among older adults (Correct answer)
- Pension losses that accumulate each year a worker delays retirement
- Physical declines that combine to reduce mobility faster than any single condition would
Correct answer: Early-life inequalities in health and resources compound over the life course, widening gaps among older adults
Cumulative disadvantage theory holds that small early inequalities (education, income, health) multiply over time, producing large disparities in old age.
Question 2: In the U.S., which racial/ethnic group of older adults has the highest rates of poverty according to federal data?
- Non-Hispanic White older adults
- Asian American older adults
- Black and Hispanic older adults (Correct answer)
- Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander older adults
Correct answer: Black and Hispanic older adults
Black and Hispanic older adults face significantly higher poverty rates than non-Hispanic White older adults, reflecting lifelong structural inequalities.
Question 3: What is 'eldercare labor' primarily associated with in sociological research?
- Paid professional nursing-home employment
- Unpaid caregiving provided disproportionately by women to elderly family members (Correct answer)
- Volunteer programs run by civic organizations
- Government-sponsored senior employment initiatives
Correct answer: Unpaid caregiving provided disproportionately by women to elderly family members
Eldercare labor research consistently shows women bear the majority of unpaid caregiving work for aging relatives, often at cost to their own careers.
Question 4: The 'dependency ratio' in demography refers to:
- The proportion of older adults with two or more chronic conditions
- The ratio of non-working-age people (youth + elderly) to working-age people in a population (Correct answer)
- The percentage of retirees receiving Social Security disability benefits
- The ratio of nursing-home beds to older adults in a given region
Correct answer: The ratio of non-working-age people (youth + elderly) to working-age people in a population
The dependency ratio measures how many working-age people support each non-working-age person, a key metric for policy planning.
Question 5: Which concept describes the tendency for people to prefer and seek out emotionally meaningful relationships over new ones as they age?
- Generativity
- Socioemotional selectivity (Correct answer)
- Disengagement
- Role consolidation
Correct answer: Socioemotional selectivity
Laura Carstensen's socioemotional selectivity theory holds that as perceived time shrinks, people prioritize emotionally close, meaningful ties.
Question 6: Which of the following is an example of 'structural lag' in relation to aging?
- An older adult's slow adaptation to new technology
- Social institutions failing to keep pace with longer, healthier lives by continuing to push retirement at age 65 (Correct answer)
- Medicare reimbursement delays caused by bureaucratic processing
- The gap between when symptoms appear and when an older adult seeks care
Correct answer: Social institutions failing to keep pace with longer, healthier lives by continuing to push retirement at age 65
Structural lag occurs when social structures (mandatory retirement ages, benefit eligibility) do not adapt to the reality that people are living and working longer.
Question 7: How does 'filial piety' influence elder care practices in many Asian American communities?
- It encourages placement in professional nursing facilities as a sign of respect
- It emphasizes children's moral duty to care for aging parents within the family home (Correct answer)
- It promotes formal legal guardianship arrangements over informal caregiving
- It discourages involving adult children in medical decision-making
Correct answer: It emphasizes children's moral duty to care for aging parents within the family home
Filial piety is a Confucian value that places strong moral obligation on adult children to personally care for aging parents.
CSA The Sociology of Aging 3
Which of the following best describes 'cumulative disadvantage' as it applies to aging?