Deck 38: Age Stratification in the United States

Question 1

The emergence of a collective consciousness by the elderly is illustrated by the establishment of the

A)United States Congress.
B)Roman Catholic church.
C)American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).
D)American Automobile Association (AAA).

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Paid employment after age 65 is

A)typical.
B)increasingly common.
C)becoming less common.
D)atypical.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

By old age,by what ratio do women outnumber men?

A)2:1
B)3:2
C)5:2
D)They don't;men outnumber women.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The "act of bringing about the death of a hopelessly ill and suffering person in a relatively quick and painless way for reasons of mercy" is called

A)active euthanasia.
B)euthanasia.
C)activity theory.
D)gerontology.

Question 5

The federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)does which of the following?:

A)Protects those over 30 from being fired due to age and replaced with younger,cheaper employees.
B)Protects those over 40 from being fired due to age and replaced with younger,cheaper employees.
C)Protects those under 30 from being fired due to age and replaced with older,cheaper employees.
D)Protects those under 18 from being fired due to age.

Question 6

About 80 percent of the elderly are comprised of which of the following groups?

A)non-Hispanic Whites
B)African Americans
C)Asian Americans
D)Latinos

Question 7

The acronym SAGE stands for Seniors Against Gerontological Environments.

Question 8

Which of the following individuals has led a crusade to legalize physician-assisted suicides?

A)Richard Kalish
B)Elaine Cumming
C)Dr.Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
D)Dr.Jack Kevorkian

Question 9

The term oldest old refers to

A)people aged 65 and older.
B)people aged 65 and older who are in poor health.
C)people aged 85 and older.
D)people aged 85 and older who are in poor health.

Question 10

The minority aged population is expected to

A)decline in the next 40 years.
B)increase in the next 40 years.
C)remain constant over the next 40 years.
D)increase with baby boomers and then sharply decline.

Question 11

Susan,56 years of age,and her daughter Beverly,28 years of age,are both secretaries.They both apply for the same job,and although Susan has much more experience,the company hires Beverly because,as one of the company's owners says,"Who wants a wrinkled old lady to work in our office?" This attitude reflects

A)senilicide.
B)gerontocracy.
C)gerontology.
D)ageism.

Question 12

Which of these racial and ethnic groups has the longest life expectancy?

A)Whites
B)Asian Americans
C)Hispanics
D)African Americans

Question 13

SAGE was established in 1977 to address the concerns of

A)elderly workers with regard to their rights.
B)elderly homosexuals.
C)elderly residents with regard to nursing home violations.
D)elderly victims of bank fraud.

Question 14

The term euthanasia refers to the killing of children within a society.

Question 15

Which of the following states is the most populated by the elderly?

A)California
B)Florida
C)Arizona
D)Texas

Question 16

Which sociological perspective would be likely to suggest that elderly minority women experience a double burden regarding income levels compared to non-Hispanic Whites?

A)functionalist perspective
B)conflict perspective
C)interactionist perspective
D)global perspective

Question 17

AARP has endorsed

A)pension reforms.
B)voter registration campaigns.
C)nursing home reform.
D)All of these answers are correct.

Question 18

Which of the following statements about wealth and income among elderly persons is accurate?

A)There is significant variation in wealth and poverty among the nation's older people.
B)Older people as a group are homogeneous and poor.
C)Middle-class workers are generally no better-off as they retire,as compared to lower-class workers.
D)All of these answers are correct.

Question 19

Ageism is defined as

A)prejudicial and discriminatory behavior directed against the elderly.
B)the reflection of a deep uneasiness among young and middle-aged people about growing old.
C)domination and control by the elderly.
D)the scientific study of aging and the problems of the aged.

Question 20

Social Security provides what proportion of income for people in the United States?

A)81 percent
B)59 percent
C)39 percent
D)21 percent

Question 21

Explain the phenomena of the "graying of America."

Question 22

Conflict theorists are interested in asking questions about the values raised by decisions involving physician-assisted suicides.

Question 23

Discuss the controversial topic of physician-assisted suicide and attempt to present the issue from the various sociological perspectives (functionalist,conflict,etc. ).Do you think an individual should be given a choice "to die" within a society? Give your reasons.

Question 24

Describe the effects of ageism in the United States with regard to wealth,competition in the labor force,and the emergence of a collective conscience.Give examples to support your answer.