Introduction
When people age, their involvement in social activities depends on many factors. A leading role is devoted to structural forces and processes that prevail in a particular community or a person’s environment. These phenomena, known as social structures, shape the lives and choices of older people. The family structure and the distribution of wealth are the aspects under consideration, and the discussion of these two issues denotes that people should appropriately organize society to support the aging population.
Social Structures for the Elderly
To begin with, one should define social structures. They imply “how a society is organized at a given point in history, including its distribution of wealth, political and economic system, cultural patterns, dominant social roles, and power relations between groups” (Funk, 2015, p. 3). In this essay, two significant structures are discussed.
Family
First, attention is drawn to a person’s family, i.e., a social institution organized to meet people’s needs (Macionis et al., 2017). An older individual can live in full, extended, incomplete, or high-cohesion families. This structure notably influences the aging process, as the absence of close relatives or poor intergenerational relationships can deprive a person of the level of care and assistance needed at home. Vice versa, living in a complete and cohesive family is beneficial for aged individuals because relatives offer support that makes aging easier and more positive.
Social Class
Second, the dissemination of wealth and poverty represents another influential structure. This term refers to what economic resources a person has to support their aging experiences (Wister, 2019). If a senior individual is in a good financial position, they have sufficient funds to receive adequate medical care, eat healthy foods, and engage in appropriate physical activities. Wister (2019) also notes that this structure is closely linked to social class, as it determines a person’s status and role in society. At the same time, a poor economic condition does not allow a senior adult to meet their growing needs associated with age. In other words, the identified evidence demonstrates that money is associated with improved experiences of aging.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the experience of aging implies many opportunities and barriers for individuals. Multiple social structures impact older populations at this stage, while this essay considers family and economic factors. These two issues imply that an individual can effectively enter the aging process if they have a few supportive phenomena.
For instance, relatives can provide an older adult with care and assistance to meet their emerging needs. On the contrary, a poor economic situation can lead to dissatisfaction and worsen well-being. This discussion demonstrates that the community should understand the connection between age-related issues and social structures to determine how best to support older people.
References
Funk, L. (2015). Sociological perspectives on aging. Oxford University Press.
Macionis, J., Jansson, S., Benoit, C., & Burkowicz, J. (2017). Society: The basics (Updated 6th Canadian ed.). Prentice Hall.
Wister, A. W. (2019). Aging as a social process: Canada and beyond (7th ed.). Oxford University Press.