Disengagement Theory
Disengagement theory was one of the earliest theories written on aging and it was formulated by Cumming and Henry in 1961. This theory states that the society should find avenues for older people to actively disengage from authority to give way for younger people to take over. Through this way, the society creates a smooth transition for the younger generation to take over the active roles while the elders are expected to lead a sedentary life. Though this augured well for the society as a whole, it began to create negative impressions about older people. The primary negativity is that disengagement can happen at different times for different individuals and it was difficult to define a range (Morgan & Kunkel, 2011). Also, the media began to show older people as inactive with no responsibilities and this eventually led to their biased portrayal.
Activity Theory
The activity theory was formulated to overcome the drawbacks of disengagement theory. This theory states that elders should lead an active life and try to perform their earlier roles to give them a higher degree of independence and confidence. However, the drawback with this theory is that it is difficult for all elders to maintain an active life and this inability can be due to several factors such as poverty, gender, health problems and social class.
Conflict Theory
The conflict theory is one of the most important theories that explains the negativity and prejudice of older people that prevails in the society today. According to this theory, the older people are not valued by the society because they are not productive economically. At the same time, they are a burden to the society because of their health care costs and pension benefits which puts a toll on the profits of companies as well as the salaries of the younger generation....
One of the criticisms of this theory is that it puts too much blame on the capitalist companies and their profitability rather than looking at other features. Despite this criticism, the theory holds good because it forms the basis for media portrayal of the older generation.
This theory forms the basis for the negative media portrayal. In the movie Age-Old Friends, the two friends John Cooper and Michael Aylott talk about different things including the 1937 New York Giants game and line-up to while away their time. Cooper is sharp buy physically frail while Aylott is a hearty man with a failing memory and together, they take viewers on the path of old life. Through this movie, these characters show the world that they mental and physical abilities can be put to full use and they are not a burden to the society provided they get an opportunity to exhibit their skills.
Conclusion
In short, older people are portrayed in a negative manner in the media. They are underrepresented and even the little representation is negative and misconstrued. There are many theories that contribute to this negative portrayal. One of the positive movies that bring out the true plight of the elderly is Age Old Friends. It combines humor, sadness and revelation to give users a glimpse of how life can be for them a few decades later.
References
Nelson, Todd. (2004). Ageism: Stereotyping and Prejudice against Older Persons. Boston: MIT Press.
No Author. (2001). Commentary: Sexuality in the Older Person. British Geriatrics Society. Vol 30(1). pp 121-124.
Morgan, Leslie; Kunkel, Suzanne. (2011). Aging, Society, and the Life Course. Fourth Edition. New York: Springer Publishing Company.
Hillier, Susan; Barrow, Georgia. (2010). Aging, the Individual and Society. Independence, KY: Cengage Learning.
