Centering Age Inequality: Developing a Sociology-of-Age Framework

Abstract

The construct of age occupies a curious position in mainstream sociology: It is omnipresent but theoretically underdeveloped. The most prevalent approaches—age as control variable and age as life course—elide the aspect of age most relevant to the discipline, namely its operation as a system of inequality. Building on the foundation laid by scholars of life course sociology, age studies, and gerontology, I propose a new framework for thinking about age. The framework integrates insights from these fields and identifies inequality as a key axis on which several dimensions of age turn, thus placing age squarely in the domain of sociological research centering on inequalities. The article concludes with a discussion of how this framework can enhance the empirical and theoretical contributions of age-focused research. In particular, research that delves into how institutions, performances, and identities reproduce age inequality flows from this framework and constitutes a valuable contribution in its own right. Moreover, such an orientation positions the sociology of age as integral to the discipline, given its commitment to understanding how inequalities infuse social life. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Sociology, Volume 48 is July 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

How old do I look? Aging appearance and experiences of aging among U.S. adults ages 50–80.

“…While stereotypes about aging and associated treatment of older adults can be positive, negative, or a mix of both, studies have shown that old age stereotypes are predominantly negative and becoming increasingly negative over time (B. R. Levy et al, 2014;Ng et al, 2015). In a society that values and rewards "youthfulness," appearing old can lead to a variety of negative experiences due to losses in social status, rights, and autonomy (Barrett, 2022;Calasanti, 2016). Individuals perceived as old are discriminated against in employment, housing, health care, and in their everyday interactions with service providers, strangers, and even their friends and family (Abecassis et al, 2012;Bender, 2012;Kydd & Fleming, 2015).…”

“…In later life, changes linked to age are regularly framed as undesirable and indicative of decline and loss (Calasanti & King, 2021; Chonody & Teater, 2016). While some aging-related changes stem from chronological age and immutable aging processes, others are socially constructed in that they reflect societal expectations, beliefs, and attitudes about life at different ages and stages (Barrett, 2022; Calasanti & King, 2021). Researchers posit that many changes associated with older age, perhaps more than most people think, reflect a combination of biological and social influences (Allen, 2016; Allen, Solway, Kirch, Singer, Kullgren, Moïse, & Malani, 2022; Calasanti & King, 2021; B.…”

“…R. Levy et al, 2014; Ng et al, 2015). In a society that values and rewards “youthfulness,” appearing old can lead to a variety of negative experiences due to losses in social status, rights, and autonomy (Barrett, 2022; Calasanti, 2016). Individuals perceived as old are discriminated against in employment, housing, health care, and in their everyday interactions with service providers, strangers, and even their friends and family (Abecassis et al, 2012; Bender, 2012; Kydd & Fleming, 2015).…”

Workplace Age Discrimination and Social-psychological Well-being

“…Research further reveals the importance of such status distinctions once employed and relative to inequalities in mobility and pay (e.g., Budig and England 2001; Mandel and Semyonov 2014; McBrier and Wilson 2004), segregation (e.g., Fernandez and Fernandez-Mateo 2006; McDonald, Lin, and Ao 2009), and involuntary termination (Byron 2010; Kalev 2014; Zwerling and Silver 1992). But what of age as a status system—a system seen by some as having parallels to race, gender, and class inequality (in this regard, see especially Barrett 2022)?…”

“…Critical gerontological scholarship helps fill existing gaps by underscoring the salience of age as an ongoing and important dimension of status vulnerability and inequality. Indeed, integrating insights from gerontology and aging studies especially, Anne E. Barrett (2022) makes the case that age is a key axis of inequality that, like race, class, and gender, has consequences for opportunity and experiences across social, political, and economic domains. We agree, build on such points below and, drawing on survey responses from aproximately 1,000 full-time workers, systematically analyze (1) workers’ vulnerability to contemporary age-based discrimination; (2) the consequences for job insecurity, job-specific stress, and mental health; and (3) the extent to which other statuses (i.e., race/ethnicity, gender, occupational status) as well as relationships with coworkers and/or supervisors buffer or exacerbate any observed effects.…”