Social Problems 6th Edition Macionis Test Bank 1

Macionis, Social Problems, 6e
Solution Manual for Social Problems 6th Edition Macionis

013390959X 9780133909593
Full download link at:
Solution manual: https://testbankpack.com/p/solution-manual-for-social-problems-6th-edition-
macionis-013390959x-9780133909593/
Test bank: https://testbankpack.com/p/test-bank-for-social-problems-6th-edition-macionis-
013390959x-9780133909593/
Chapter 5 Test Bank, Aging and Inequality
In this revision of the test bank, I have updated all of the questions to reflect changes in Social
Problems, 6th edition. For each chapter of the text, this test bank provides fifty multiple-choice
questions and five essay questions. The multiple-choice questions are coded for level of
difficulty (easy, moderate, or difficult). The multiple choice questions are also coded for the
level of reasoning involved. The four levels of reasoning are: Factual (recall of factual material),
Understand (understanding key concepts), Apply (application of sociological knowledge to a
situation) and Analyze (identifying the interrelationship among variables).
Types of Questions
Mult Choice Essay Total Qs

Factual 19 (38%) 0 19
material
Understanding 11 (22%) 0 11
concepts
Apply what 17 (34%) 2 (40%) 19
you know
Analyze the 3 (6%) 3 (60%) 6
issue
50 5 55
Multiple Choice
TB_Q5.1.1
Source ID: n/a
Which term refers to the socially constructed stages people pass through as they live out their lives?
a. aging
b. geriatrics
c. gerontology
d. the life course
(Answer: d)
Consider This: In our culture, commonly recognized stages of life include childhood, adolescence,
Copyright © 2015, 2013, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
1
adulthood, and old age. L.O.5.1 Explain the effects of industrialization on the process of growing old.
Learning Objective: L.O.5.1 Explain the effects of industrialization on the process of growing old.
Topic/Concept: Growing Old
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Page: 135
TB_Q5.1.2
Source ID: n/a
Sociologists argue that stages of life are

a. defined by biological changes.
b. socially constructed.
c. rooted in psychological states.
d. exactly the same around the world.
(Answer: b)
Consider This: Growing old is not just a matter of biological changes. How a culture defines this stage of
life makes a big difference in how people experience old age. L.O.5.1 Explain the effects of
industrialization on the process of growing old.
Page: 135
TB_Q5.1.3
Source ID: n/a
Which term refers to a branch of the social sciences dealing with aging and the elderly?
a. geriatrics
b. aging
c. gerontology
d. gerontocracy
(Answer: c)
Consider This: Which term ending typically means “a science” or “field of study”? L.O.5.1 Explain the
effects of industrialization on the process of growing old.
Page: 135
TB_Q5.1.4
Source ID: n/a
In a ______, the greatest wealth, power, and prestige belong to a society’s oldest members.
a. theocracy
b. democracy
c. meritocracy
d. gerontocracy
2
(Answer: d)
Consider This: This system is more common in preindustrial societies than in industrial societies. L.O.5.1
Explain the effects of industrialization on the process of growing old.
Page: 135
TB_Q5.1.5
Source ID: n/a
In comparison with the word elder, commonly used in preindustrial societies, the modern term elderly
a. has the same meaning.
b. has a more positive meaning.
c. has a more negative meaning.
d. is without meaning.
(Answer: c)
Consider This: Think of how people use the word “elderly.” Do they mean someone full of wisdom and
experience or someone whose faculties are declining? L.O.5.1 Explain the effects of industrialization on
the process of growing old.
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Page: 135
TB_Q5.1.6
Source ID: n/a
In Japan, a very low birthrate has resulted in

a. the proportion of Japan’s population over the age of sixty-five is increasing faster than in any
other country.
b. the nation’s population will continue to increase for decades to come.
c. the number of elderly people is steadily declining.
d. there are now far more males than females in the population.
(Answer: a)
Consider This: In 2014, 26 percent of Japanese people were over age sixty-five (compared with 14.5
percent in the United States); in 2025, the Japanese figure will be about 31 percent (19 percent in the
United States). L.O.5.1 Explain the effects of industrialization on the process of growing old.
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Page: 136
TB_Q5.1.7
Source ID: n/a
3
Which of the following terms refers to the average life span of a country’s population?
a. longevity
b. life expectancy
c. life course
d. age cohort
(Answer: b)
Consider This: Life expectancy has changed dramatically over the course of human history. L.O.5.1
Explain the effects of industrialization on the process of growing old.
Page: 137
TB_Q5.2.8
Source ID: n/a
By 2030, according to projections, people over the age of sixty-five will represent what percentage of the
U.S. population?
a. 2 percent
b. 20 percent
c. 30 percent
d. 50 percent
(Answer: b)
Consider This: Against the trend of a rapidly increasing elderly population, the number of young people
in the United States is staying about the same. L.O.5.2 Discuss the graying of the United States and the
social diversity of the older population.
Learning Objective: L.O.5.2 Discuss the graying of the United States and the social diversity of the older
population.
Topic/Concept: The Graying of the United States
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Page: 138
TB_Q5.2.9
Source ID: n/a
Of the levels of “old” discussed in the text, which category is increasing the most rapidly in number?
a. the “younger old”
b. the “elder old”
c. the “older old”
d. the “oldest old”
(Answer: d)
Consider This: Elders aged eighty-five and older are those who need the most assistance. L.O.5.2 Discuss
the graying of the United States and the social diversity of the older population.
population.
4

Page: 138
TB_Q5.2.10
Source ID: n/a
What percentage of the 62,000 centenarians in the United States (people aged 100 years or older) are
women?
a. 22 percent
b. 42 percent
c. 62 percent
d. 82 percent
(Answer: d)
Consider This: Women tend to live longer than men, so a slight majority in the total population becomes a
larger majority among the elderly. L.O.5.2 Discuss the graying of the United States and the social
diversity of the older population.
population.
Page: 139
TB_Q5.3.11
Source ID: n/a
Which one of the following statements is correct?

a. Most elderly men and most elderly women live alone.
b. Most elderly men live alone; most elderly women live with a husband.
c. Seventy-two percent of elderly men live with a wife; just 42 percent of elderly women live with a
husband.
d. Eighty percent of both elderly men and elderly women live with a spouse.
(Answer: c)
Consider This: The experience of social isolation is more common to elderly women, who typically
outlive older men. L.O.5.3 Assess various problems faced by today’s elderly population.
Learning Objective: L.O.5.3 Assess various problems faced by today’s elderly population.
Topic/Concept: Problems of Aging
Page: 139
TB_Q5.3.12
Source ID: n/a
The fact that the death of a spouse is a very difficult experience helps explain why
a. surviving partners thrive once this transition is behind them.
b. the surviving partner is at high risk of death, sometimes by suicide.
5
c. divorce rates are high as people enter old age.

d. single people typically outlive married people.
(Answer: b)
Consider This: One study of older men and women who had lost a spouse found that three-fourths cited
loneliness as a serious problem. L.O.5.3 Assess various problems faced by today’s elderly population.
Page: 139
TB_Q5.3.13
Source ID: n/a
Which of the following statements about elderly widows (females) or widowers (males) remarrying is
correct?
a. Widowers are more likely to remarry than widows.
b. Widows are more likely to remarry than widowers.
c. Widowers and widows are equally likely to remarry.
d. Widows and widowers rarely remarry.
(Answer: a)
Consider This: Who has the numbers—and society’s approval— in their favor? L.O.5.3 Assess various
problems faced by today’s elderly population.
Page: 139
TB_Q5.3.14
Source ID: n/a
In 1950, people in the United States typically retired at about age sixty-eight; after dropping to age sixty-
three in 2005, by 2012, the retirement-age number was about
a. fifty-five.
b. sixty-five.
c. sixty-nine.
d. seventy.
(Answer: b)
Consider This: After the onset of the economic recession in 2009, many older workers saw pay cuts or the
loss of some (or even all) of a pension or retirement. As a result, more men and women remain in the
labor force and they are also working longer hours. L.O.5.3 Assess various problems faced by today’s
elderly population.
6
Page: 140
TB_Q5.3.15
Source ID: n/a
The most common source of support and companionship for elderly people is
a. community senior citizen centers.
b. religious institutions.
c. family members.
d. educational programs like Elderhostel.
(Answer: c)
Consider This: Half of U.S. adults say that at some point in their lives they expect to care for an older
family member. Almost half of all elders have at least one adult child who lives no more than 20 minutes
away. L.O.5.3 Assess various problems faced by today’s elderly population.
Page: 139-140
TB_Q5.3.16
Source ID: n/a
In 1987, Congress passed legislation that

a. set ages of mandatory retirement for everyone.
b. allowed each state to decide if mandatory retirement should exist.
c. required employers to phase out mandatory retirement policies.
d. made mandatory retirement policies optional for companies.
(Answer: c)
Consider This: Back in the 1930s, the U.S. government set the retirement age at sixty-five, which was
about how long people lived at that time. But today, on average, people live about nineteen years beyond
that. L.O.5.3 Assess various problems faced by today’s elderly population.
Page: 141
TB_Q5.3.17
Source ID: n/a
Portraying elderly people as a whole as senile, rigid, or old-fashioned is an example of

a. racism.
b. classism.
c. ageism.
d. sexism.
(Answer: c)
Consider This: This is prejudice and discrimination directed toward older people; it defines physical
7
traits—in this case, graying hair, wrinkled skin, or any other signs of advancing age—as evidence of
being less worthy as a person. L.O.5.3 Assess various problems faced by today’s elderly population.
Page: 141
TB_Q5.3.18
Source ID: n/a
The average age of the U.S. workforce is
a. going up.
b. going down.
c. staying about the same.
d. going up for men and going down for women.
(Answer: a)
Consider This: The number of complaints of age-based discrimination is rising. L.O.5.3 Assess various
Page: 141
TB_Q5.3.19
Source ID: n/a
When older people, especially women, appear on television or in films, it is most often
a. in stereotypical roles.
b. in leading roles.
c. as physically active people.
d. as the most wealthy and powerful people.
(Answer: a)
Consider This: For example, in the Oscar-winning film Driving Miss Daisy, for example, Jessica Tandy
played an old, lonely woman unable to cope with change. L.O.5.3 Assess various problems faced by
today’s elderly population.
Page: 142
TB_Q5.3.20
Source ID: n/a
Our society began to define elder abuse as a social problem in the

a. 1950s.
b. 1960s.
c. 1970s.
8
d. 1980s.
(Answer: d)
Consider This: In which decade did older people have enough political power for our society to define
elder abuse as a social problem? L.O.5.3 Assess various problems faced by today’s elderly population.
Page: 142
TB_Q5.3.21
Source ID: n/a
Which of the following concepts refers to social inequality among various age categories within a
society?
a. ageism
b. age stratification
c. gerontocracy
d. aristocracy
(Answer: b)
Consider This: In preindustrial societies elders have more wealth and power than younger people. In
modern industrial societies, the opposite is true. This means that for elderly people, their social level may
change. L.O.5.3 Assess various problems faced by today’s elderly population.
Page: 144
TB_Q5.3.22
Source ID: n/a
If you were studying informal and unpaid care provided to a dependent person by family members, other
relatives, or friends, which of the following would be your focus?
a. day care
b. disengagement
c. caregiving
d. hospice
(Answer: c)
Consider This: Most elders never live in a nursing home or other care facility. Rather, most elder care
comes from other individuals. L.O.5.3 Assess various problems faced by today’s elderly population.
Page: 143
TB_Q5.3.23
Source ID: n/a
9
In 2012, about what percentage of people over the age of sixty-five in the United States was living below
the official poverty line?
a. 3 percent
b. 9 percent
c. 19 percent
d. 24 percent
(Answer: b)
Consider This: This figure represents a dramatic change from several generations ago: Back in 1965, the
elderly poverty rate in the United States was almost 30 percent. L.O.5.3 Assess various problems faced by
Page: 143
TB_Q5.3.24
Source ID: n/a
In the United States, if you track income by age, you find that income typically peaks at about what age?
a. 30
b. 40
c. 50
d. 60
(Answer: c)
Consider This: In our society, as people get older, gaining education and experience, their income
typically goes up. This trend holds through middle age. L.O.5.3 Assess various problems faced by today’s
elderly population.
Skill Level: Analyze It
Page: 144
TB_Q5.3.25
Source ID: n/a
Among full-time workers, women aged twenty-five to forty-four earn 77 percent as much as comparably
aged men. Among people approaching retirement age (forty-five to sixty-four years) women earn
________ percent as much as men in the same age category.
a. 34
b. 54
c. 74
d. 94
(Answer: c)
Consider This: Among older workers between the ages of forty-five to sixty four, the gender gap is
greater. Among people aged sixty-five and older (who may or may not be working), the gender gap in
10
income is greater still. L.O.5.3 Assess various problems faced by today’s elderly population.
Page: 150
TB_Q5.3.26
Source ID: n/a
Most elders prefer to “age in place,” meaning that they

a. remain in the same job they had when they were younger.
b. stay in the homes where they lived while working and raising their children.
c. seek places to live where aging is easily accommodated, such as assisted living facilities.
d. expect their capabilities to remain the same as they age.
(Answer: b)
Consider This: This may require making safety modifications, especially in older houses. L.O.5.3 Assess
various problems faced by today’s elderly population.
Page: 145
TB_Q5.3.27
Source ID: n/a
The cost to live in a retirement community is typically between $2,000 and $6,000 per month for an
apartment and meals. In addition, residents must usually pay entrance fees of as much as
a. a month’s rent.
b. six months of Social Security payments.
c. a half a million dollars.
d. a quarter of a million dollars.
(Answer: d)
Consider This: Such a high cost puts this type of housing within reach of a very limited number of older
people. L.O.5.3 Assess various problems faced by today’s elderly population.
Page: 145
TB_Q5.3.28
Source ID: n/a
About what percentage of U.S. seniors live in a nursing facility at any specific point in time?
a. 4 percent
b. 24 percent
c. 44 percent
11
d. 64 percent
(Answer: a)
Consider This: Almost half will live in such a facility at some point, but not all at the same time. L.O.5.3
Assess various problems faced by today’s elderly population.
Page: 146
TB_Q5.3.29
Source ID: n/a
In a study of a declining neighborhood along the coast of Southern California, Barbara Myerhoff found
that, above all, elderly residents wanted to
a. remain independent.
b. go out at night.
c. move to senior citizen housing
d. move in with their adult children.
(Answer: a)
Consider This: Living in this neighborhood presented many challenges. L.O.5.3 Assess various problems
faced by today’s elderly population.
Page: 145
TB_Q5.3.30
Source ID: n/a
On average, U.S. men and women over the age of sixty five spend what percentage of their household
budget on health care?
a. 1 percent
b. 5 percent
c. 15 percent
d. 35 percent
(Answer: c)
Consider This: Even with Medicare, many seniors face challenges in paying their medical bills. The
percentage seniors spend is three times higher than for younger people. L.O.5.3 Assess various problems
Page: 146
TB_Q5.3.31
12
Source ID: n/a

The government-sponsored program that pays for hospital care and 80 percent of other medical care costs
for people over the age of sixty-five is
a. Medicaid.
b. Medicare.
c. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
d. National Health Insurance.
(Answer: b)
Consider This: While prescription drug coverage was added in 2003, the program has high deductibles
and co-pay requirements and does not include dental or long-term care. L.O.5.3 Assess various problems
Page: 146
TB_Q5.3.32
Source ID: n/a
Which of the following terms refers to assisting in the death of a person suffering from an incurable
disease?
a. euthanasia
b. living will
c. justifiable homicide
d. negotiated death
(Answer: a)
Consider This: The term comes from the Greek for “a good death.” L.O.5.3 Assess various problems
Page: 146
TB_Q5.3.33
Source ID: n/a
What is the term for doctors stopping the treatment of a terminally ill person by turning off respirators or
other life-support machines?
a. active euthanasia
b. positive euthanasia
c. passive euthanasia
d. negative life support
(Answer: c)
Consider This: This form is generally accepted by lawmakers and widely practiced by doctors. L.O.5.3
Assess various problems faced by today’s elderly population.
13

Page: 146
TB_Q5.3.34
Source ID: n/a
Suppose that a physician administered a lethal injection to a dying person to bring a painless end to life.
This would be called
a. active euthanasia
b. complex euthanasia
c. passive euthanasia
d. physician-assisted suicide
(Answer: a)
Consider This: In this case, the doctor is taking steps to bring about death, rather than allowing death to
happen. L.O.5.3 Assess various problems faced by today’s elderly population.
Page: 147
TB_Q5.3.35
Source ID: n/a
The majority of caregiving to elderly people in the U.S. is provided by

a. senior daycare facilities.
b. nursing homes.
c. women.
d. other elderly people.
(Answer: c)
Consider This: Most of the hands-on care for an aging person is typically provided by one particular
family member, such as a wife, daughter, or daughter-in-law. L.O.5.3 Assess various problems faced by
Page: 143
TB_Q5.4.36
Source ID: n/a
Intersection theory helps us to see that

a. some categories of elders confront greater disadvantages than others.
b. disengagement is functional for society as a whole.
c. physicians must play a part in a “negotiated death.”
d. the poverty rate for seniors is declining over time.
(Answer: a)
14
Consider This: Intersection theory examines the interplay of various dimensions of inequality. L.O.5.4
Apply sociological theory to issues involving aging and age stratification.
Learning Objective: L.O.5.4 Apply sociological theory to issues involving aging and age stratification.
Topic/Concept: Theories of Aging and Inequality
Page: 151
TB_Q5.3.37
Source ID: n/a
As of early 2012, which states have enacted laws allowing physicians to assist in the deaths of terminally
ill people?
a. California, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island
b. Oregon, Washington, and Vermont
c. Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi
d. Michigan and Minnesota
(Answer: b)
Consider This: In 1997, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution does not recognize a right to
die. This decision slowed the right-to-die movement that is seeking legalization of active euthanasia and
supports the spread of physician-assisted suicide. L.O.5.3 Assess various problems faced by today’s
elderly population.
Page: 147
TB_Q5.3.38
Source ID: n/a
What type of facility offers homelike care that provides physical and emotional comfort to dying people
and their families?
a. a nursing home
b. hospice
c. a hospital
d. a rehabilitation facility
(Answer: b)
Consider This: This type of facility provides only palliative care, helpfully addressing a dying person’s
symptoms and responding to their physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs. L.O.5.3 Assess various
Page: 149
TB_Q5.4.39
15
Source ID: n/a
Which theoretical approach points out that society solves the problem of people’s physical decline by
disengaging the elderly, transferring their roles and responsibilities to younger people?
a. structural-functional approach
b. social-conflict approach
c. symbolic-interaction approach
d. social-disorganization approach
(Answer: a)
Consider This: Disengagement is a strategy to ensure that the aging of the population does not disrupt the
performance of important tasks. L.O.5.4 Apply sociological theory to issues involving aging and age
stratification.
Page: 149
TB_Q5.4.40
Source ID: n/a
What theory states that modern societies operate more smoothly by transferring responsibilities from the
elderly to younger people?
a. geriatric theory
b. disengagement theory
c. activity theory
d. age stratification theory
(Answer: b)
Consider This: This is a structural-functional theory. L.O.5.4 Apply sociological theory to issues
involving aging and age stratification.
Page: 149
TB_Q5.4.41
Source ID: n/a
According to disengagement theory, what event eases aging people out of productive roles while they are
still capable of performing them?
a. illness
b. infirmity
c. retirement
d. death
(Answer: c)
Consider This: In technologically advanced and rapidly changing societies, it is believed that many older
workers lack recent knowledge and up-to-date skills, and that younger workers bring the benefits of the
16
latest training. L.O.5.4 Apply sociological theory to issues involving aging and age stratification.
Page: 149
TB_Q5.4.42
Source ID: n/a
A major criticism of disengagement theory is that

a. it overlooks the fact that at least some older people are not physically able to maintain a busy
schedule.
b. disengagement carries personal costs, including loss of status and income as well as social
isolation.
c. disengagement interferes with the efficiency of the labor force.
d. since seniors are disadvantaged in various ways, they cannot shape their lives as they may wish
to.
(Answer: b)
Consider This: Many older people enjoy their work, and most look to their jobs for needed income.
L.O.5.4 Apply sociological theory to issues involving aging and age stratification.
Page: 149
TB_Q5.3.43
Source ID: n/a
What British nurse and physician helped establish the hospice movement?
a. Cicely Saunders
b. Cicely Tyson
c. Florence Nightingale
d. Mother Theresa
(Answer: a)
Consider This: She had struggled with her own illness and was motivated by a strong desire to help
others. From her years of working with patients in hospitals, she viewed illness not just as a medical or
biological event but also as a social experience. L.O.5.3 Assess various problems faced by today’s elderly
population.
Page: 148
TB_Q5.4.44
Source ID: n/a
17
Activity theory is an application of which theoretical approach?

a. structural-functional approach
b. social-conflict approach
c. symbolic-interaction approach
d. social-disorganization approach
(Answer: c)
Consider This: Activity theory reminds us that older people (like people of any age) are diverse with
differing needs, abilities, and interests that bring meaning to their lives. L.O.5.4 Apply sociological theory
to issues involving aging and age stratification.
Page: 149
TB_Q5.4.45
Source ID: n/a
Which theoretical analysis highlights age stratification, pointing out ways that society limits older
people’s opportunities and resources?
a. the social-conflict approach
b. the structural-functional approach
c. the symbolic-interaction approach
d. the social-disorganization approach
(Answer: a)
Consider This: Which theory is concerned with competition between types of people for status and
resources? L.O.5.4 Apply sociological theory to issues involving aging and age stratification.
Topic/Concept: Theories of Aging and Inequality:
Page: 150
TB_Q5.5.46
Source ID: n/a
As conservatives see it,

a. a healthy society is built on strong families that care for their members.
b. today’s society has strong family ties.
c. elderly people should band together and demand greater benefits.
d. government has the major responsibility to provide income to elderly people.
(Answer: a)
Consider This: Conservatives note that in an age that celebrates individualism and independence, the age-
old system by which family members take care of their own is breaking down. L.O.5.5 Analyze aging and
age stratification from various positions on the political spectrum.
Learning Objective: L.O.5.5 Analyze aging and age stratification from various positions on the political
spectrum.
Topic/Concept: Politics and Aging
18

Page: 152
TB_Q5.5.47
Source ID: n/a
Conservatives see which of the following as the main cause of problems faced by the elderly?
a. government cutbacks in funding
b. traditional stereotypes about aging
c. weaker families
d. rapid social change
(Answer: c)
Consider This: Despite their emphasis on individual responsibility, conservatives say we must reject a
“me first” culture that makes many younger people less willing to take on family responsibilities. L.O.5.5
Analyze aging and age stratification from various positions on the political spectrum.
spectrum.
Page: 152
TB_Q5.5.48
Source ID: n/a
According to the liberal view regarding caring for elders, individuals and families should
a. not be involved at all.
b. not have to solve these problems by themselves.
c. save significant amounts of money for the future.
d. expect to have their elderly relatives live with them.
(Answer: b)
Consider This: Which answer is in keeping with the liberal view that government can and ought to solve
social problems? L.O.5.5 Analyze aging and age stratification from various positions on the political
spectrum.
spectrum.
Page: 153
TB_Q5.5.49
Source ID: n/a
According to the liberal view, government programs (such as Social Security) are
a. crucial to meeting the needs of the elder population.
b. actually hurting the interests of the elderly.
c. weakening families.
19
d. more generous than they should be.

(Answer: a)
Consider This: Liberals also remind us that many of today’s families depend on the earnings of both
spouses just to meet their own needs, and too many men and women are out of work. Especially during
tough economic times that have hurt average working families, most families have enough trouble taking
care of themselves, never mind providing for older family members. L.O.5.5 Analyze aging and age
stratification from various positions on the political spectrum.
spectrum.
Page: 153
TB_Q5.5.50
Source ID: n/a
According to the radical left view, age stratification is

a. necessary to keep society operating.
b. a dimension of the striking social inequality caused by the capitalist U.S. economy.
c. beneficial because it makes society more productive.
d. a result of insufficient planning for the future on the part of the elderly and their families.
(Answer: b)
Consider This: Following Karl Marx, Steven Spitzer argues that capitalist societies’s overriding focus on
profits devalues any category of people that is economically less productive. L.O.5.5 Analyze aging and
age stratification from various positions on the political spectrum.
spectrum.
Page: 153
Essay Questions
TB_Q5.1.51
Source ID: n/a
What is the life course? In what ways does old age differ from other stages of life? How does society
construct the stages of the life course?
 The life course is the socially constructed stages that people pass through as they live out their
lives.
 In our culture, commonly recognized stages of life include childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and
old age.
Consider This: How a culture defines this stage of life makes a big difference in how people experience
old age. L.O.5.1 Explain the effects of industrialization on the process of growing old.
20

Page: 135
TB_Q5.3.52
Source ID: n/a
What is ageism? Provide examples of age-based prejudice and discrimination.

 Ageism is prejudice and discrimination directed toward older people.
 Like racism and sexism, ageism defines physical traits—in this case, graying hair, wrinkled skin,
or any other signs of advancing age—as evidence of being less worthy as a person.
Consider This: L.O.5.3 Assess various problems faced by today’s elderly population.
Page: 141-142
TB_Q5.4.53
Source ID: n/a
Explain intersection theory in terms of the income and or poverty rates of elderly women and racial and
ethnic minorities compared to elderly men and whites.
 Just as elderly women are socially disadvantaged in relation to elderly men, some categories of
women face greater challenges than others.
 Intersection theory examines the interplay of various dimensions of inequality to show that some
elderly women are further disadvantaged by race and ethnicity.
 The fact that there is no single “older woman” might well encourage us to investigate still other
categories of the older population, including lesbians and people with disabilities.
Consider This: Dimensions of social stratification involving gender, race, and ethnicity combine to shape
the lives of older people. L.O.5.4 Apply sociological theory to issues involving aging and age
stratification.
Page: 151
TB_Q5.4.54
Source ID: n/a
State the essential insights of structural-functional, symbolic-interaction analysis, social-conflict analysis,

and feminist analysis of aging. Also note at least one limitation of each. Which makes the most
sense to you? Why?
 Structural-functional theory highlights ways in which social patterns help societies operate
smoothly. Disengagement theory argues that society must disengage elders from important roles,
21
passing responsibilities from one generation to the next.

 Symbolic-interaction theory focuses on the meaning people find in their everyday lives. Activity
theory states that elders who remain involved in many social activities have greater life
satisfaction.
 Social-conflict theory highlights age as a dimension of social stratification. Modern societies
define elderly people in negative terms, causing both prejudice and discrimination.
 Feminist theory focuses on the importance of gender stratification in old age. Older women and
other minorities, subject not only to ageism but also to sexism and racism, are much more
disadvantaged, as intersection theory explains.
Consider This: How does each theory address the questions of whether aging is a problem, and is so, what
to do about it? L.O.5.4 Apply sociological theory to issues involving aging and age stratification.
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Page: 149-152
TB_Q5.5.55
Source ID: n/a
Explain how the conservative, liberal, and radical-left viewpoints define problems linked to aging. What
does each approach favor in terms of solutions to these problems? How might we learn from each
to improve the social lives of our older population?
 Conservative View: A culture of self-reliance will encourage most people to provide for their
own old age; families should support elder members as necessary, and government programs
should be a last resort.
 Liberal View: Government programs (including Social Security and laws banning age
discrimination) are crucial to meeting the needs of the rising elder population.
 Radical Left View: Replacing the capitalist economy with a socialist system would end the
practice of devaluing less productive people. Government must provide for the well-being of
people of all ages.
Consider This: Of the three political analyses of aging and inequality included here, which do you find
most convincing? L.O.5.5 Analyze aging and age stratification from various positions on the political
spectrum.
spectrum.
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Page: 152-154
22

Social Problems 6th Edition Macionis Test Bank 1

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Social Problems 6th Edition Macionis Test Bank 1

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Macionis, Social Problems, 6e

Solution Manual for Social Problems 6th Edition Macionis

Chapter 5 Test Bank, Aging and Inequality

Mult Choice Essay Total Qs

Sociologists argue that stages of life are

In Japan, a very low birthrate has resulted in

Topic/Concept: The Graying of the United States

Which one of the following statements is correct?

c. divorce rates are high as people enter old age.

In 1987, Congress passed legislation that

Portraying elderly people as a whole as senile, rigid, or old-fashioned is an example of

Our society began to define elder abuse as a social problem in the

Most elders prefer to “age in place,” meaning that they

Source ID: n/a

Topic/Concept: Problems of Aging

The majority of caregiving to elderly people in the U.S. is provided by

Intersection theory helps us to see that

Source ID: n/a

A major criticism of disengagement theory is that

Activity theory is an application of which theoretical approach?

As conservatives see it,

Difficulty Level: Moderate

d. more generous than they should be.

According to the radical left view, age stratification is

Difficulty Level: Moderate

What is ageism? Provide examples of age-based prejudice and discrimination.

State the essential insights of structural-functional, symbolic-interaction analysis, social-conflict analysis,

passing responsibilities from one generation to the next.

You might also like