Applying Theory Essay

Healthy aging is positively correlated with continued psychological and social participation of senior citizens with activities that may not be very similar to those that they have been used to, but substitutes them to accommodate their age and limited capabilities. Building a senior citizen’s center would allow them to participate in modified activities that they have pursued in middle age. The community would be creating a venue by which the elderly could get educational training, physical and leisure activities suited to their age to reduce boredom. The center would encourage them to stay active, less depressed about aging. In the long-term, the center would promote a positive well-being among the elderly. Exchange Theory Building a senior citizen’s center would benefit the senior citizens in many ways but on the part of the community, the project would have benefits as well as incur costs. A center would provide senior citizens a productive means by which to spend their retirement years. It would make them more active and social than they would if they simply spend most of their time at home or a retirement home. On the part of the community, the monetary cost of the project might make it impractical if the amount could be better spent in a much more needed community project. Then again, the elderly is as much a part of the community as much as the younger members and constructing a center would provide a psychological benefit for both age groups. To the elderly, a center is a reassurance that the community values them in spite their old age. To the younger generation, the center equally reassures them that they are doing something right for the elderly. Functionalism Every age group needs to belong to an institution which would foster a sense of their membership in the larger community. Furthermore, to survive as a whole, all members should work together and slip into roles aimed towards fulfilling the needs of society. A senior citizen’s center would make the retirees a sense of belonging in the community as it would serve as their institution now that they have lost membership in their former workplaces. They would form into a social group which could organize activities to benefit the entire community. It would make the cohesion of the community stronger as an organized group of senior citizens means that even the elderly are contributing towards the stability and constant activity of the community, factors which characterize a healthy, working community. Continuity Theory Senior citizens would continue to seek for the same activities, relationships and lifestyles they had in younger years. A senior citizen’s center would be a good way by which the elderly members of society can organize, assemble and socialize—just like when they were younger. Since they all belong to the same age group, members would develop a distinct culture and this would give everyone a sense of stability and support system. A center with activities and programs geared for the elderly would help ease the difficulties of adjusting to old age. The community, in turn, would have less of the stereotyped bitter and bad-tempered elderly members because it has a place which helps the elderly experience aging as a positive, supportive and gently-sloping experience. Theories that would argue against the senior citizen’s center. Conflict Theory Building a senior citizen’s center would benefit the elderly, however it would acknowledge their continued worth in society and their influence in terms of policy-making. The senior citizens have passed their prime, and the younger generation controls public administration including the budget and planning. The latter would disapprove the spending of $3M for a center that would not be profitable to the community. The community could maximize its spending by allocating the budget for other projects and simply put the care of the elderly under their respective families or elderly homes. This way the family or home would be spending only for the necessary expenses to support the survival needs of the elderly without funneling the community’s financial resources. Political economy of aging The corporate interest precedes personal interest of the market. A senior citizen’s center would surely not justify the $3M that the community would be spending towards constructing and running it. A center for the elderly would simply be a place for them to engage in pursuits like physical activities, entertainment, seminars conducted by volunteers and other non-profitable, self-serving endeavors. If the aim is to spend the money in a project that would benefit the aging population, a wiser idea would be to revert the funds towards the construction of a managed care institution. To be profitable in the long run, this institution could give the elderly the same services and activities as the proposed center, but at certain prices. Recreation for the elderly should be a privilege instead of a charitable act. Disengagement theory The elderly and society engage in mutual separation. A senior citizen’s center is impractical because it would mean integrating the elderly into the community when they should realize that they have to withdraw from social activities they have been used to prior to retirement. A center would give the elderly a false sense of importance regarding their role in the community. It would pose a burden to the community which has to constantly bear with the expenses incurred by the center and its useless programs. The elderly cannot anymore contribute to society and compete with its standards of excellence; therefore, for the benefit of society, they should interact with the community and with each other less. Social Competence/Breakdown Theory Building a senior citizen’s center would create greater dependency on the part of the already vulnerable senior citizens. If the center is realized the elderly would feel self-important, ask for extra services and special privileges. If the demands are refused, it would cause emotional distress. To show sensitivity to the elderly, they should be allowed to face the challenges in life, without spending $3M to build a center especially for them. They should not be doled out with charity. They should be left to find the means to be happy and productive in their late years. The community would be doing them well if they are made to feel like they have worked hard to accomplish something.