Prerequisites of an Adequate Theory of Aging
A Critique and Reconceptualization
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12463582 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Robert John (0000-0002-2848-9413, University of Kansas, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1984 |
| Publication date | 1984-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Thought and Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1094-5830 • E-ISSN: 2469-8466 |
| Publisher | The University of Kansas (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.17161/str.1808.4968 |
| OpenAlex | W2110910287 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 29 |
Over the last thirty years a number of theories have purported to give gerontological researchers a special insight into the aging experi-ence by emphasizing several key issues around which to conduct research and interpret the status of the elderly. Each of these theories has focused on one or two key elements thought to profoundly affect the aging experience. The purpose of this essay is to analyze these theo-retical developments for their specific contributions and identify the theoretical prerequisites of an adequate theory of aging. In so doing, I advance three contentions. First, a special theory of aging is unneces-sary and, perhaps, undesirable; ' Second, no single theory of aging yet proposed provides an adequate account of the aging process, although existing theoretical developments have identified important elements that need to be integrated into a unified theoretical orientation. Finally, I maintain that a synthesis and elaboration of elements drawn from existing theories does provide an adequate framework for the direction and interpretation of research. Prior to my purposefully selective re-view of the theoretical literature in which I analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the competing theories, I will describe and assess the importance of the four elements that emerge from previous theoretical formulations as necessary components of an adequate theoretical approach to the aging process. *This is a revision of the paper that was awarded Second Prize in the Midwest Sociological Society Caroline Rose Paper Competition, 1983. Partial support for this research was provided by a National Institute on Aging predoctoral fellowship directed by the Midwest Council for Social Research in Aging. I would like to thank Warren A. Peterson, Director, and Harold L. Orbach for their suggestions and comments. I am especially grateful for the encouragement and helpful suggestions made by Jill S. Quadagno and Timothy Diamond. Mid-American, Review of Sociology
Engineering ethics · Epistemology · Interpretation (philosophy · Key (lock · Management science · Process (computing · Sociology · Strengths and weaknesses · Aging and Gerontology Research · Computer Science · Engineering · Philosophy · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction · Psychology
Late life
Why survive?
Class, crisis, and the state
The myth and reality of aging in America
The Measurement of Life Satisfaction
Thirty Years of Research on the Subjective Well-being of Older Americans
An Exploration of the Activity Theory of Aging
The class structure of the advanced societies.
Growing old
Are the Aged a Minority Group?
The Aged Subculture Hypothesis
Social Breakdown and Competence
Personal Adjustment in Old Age
Aging as Exchange
The Sociological Imagination
Towards a Political Economy of Old Age
Dominant and Competing Paradigms in Gerontology
Stratification Among the Aged
The Myth of the Golden Years
Social Mythology and Reform
Age Groups in American Society and the Rise of the Young-Old
Stereotypes of the Aged
The sociological imagination
Personal Adjustment in Old Age
Social Stratification
La vieillesse et l'Etat
Family Interaction Patterns
Socialization for Impending Death in a Retirement Village
Age Norms, Age Constraints, and Adult Socialization
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,05 |
| Citation span | 1986 - 2022 (37) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |