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The Functionalist Perspective 323

Mass Media in Social Life

The Cultural Lens: Shaping Our Perceptions of the Elderly

The mass media profoundly influence our percep- too, internalize these negative images, which,
tion of people (Levy et al. 2013). What we hear in turn, influences the ways they view them-
and see on television and in the movies, the selves. These images are so powerful that
songs we listen to, the books and maga- they affect the elderly’s health, even the
zines we read—all become part of the way they walk (Donlon et al. 2005).
cultural lens through which we view the We become fearful of growing old,
world. The media shape our images of and we go to great lengths to deny that
minorities and dominant groups; men, we are losing our youth. Fear and de-
women, and children; people with dis- nial play into the hands of advertisers,
abilities; those from other cultures—and of course, who exploit our concerns.
the elderly. They help us deny this biological real-
The shaping of our images and ity by selling us hair dyes, skin creams,
perception of the elderly is subtle, so and other products that are designed
much so that it usually occurs without to conceal even the appearance of old
our awareness. The elderly, for example, age. For these same reasons, plastic
are underrepresented on television and surgeons do a thriving business as they
in most popular magazines. This leaves remove telltale signs of aging.
a covert message—that the elderly are The elderly’s growing number and
of little consequence and can be safely affluence translate into economic clout
ignored. and political power. It is inevitable, then,
The media also reflect and reinforce that the media’s images of the elderly will
stereotypes of gender age. Older male change. An indication of that change is
news anchors are likely to be retained, shown in the photo at the left.
while female anchors who turn the same
age are more likely to be transferred to
less visible positions. Similarly, in movies, For Your Consideration
older men are more likely to play roman- ↑ What other examples of fear and de-
tic leads—and to play them opposite nial of growing old are you familiar with?
much younger rising stars. What examples of older men playing
The message might be subtle, but Aging is more than biology. In some cultures, romantic leads with younger women can
it is not lost. The more television that Jennifer Lopez, 43, would be considered elderly. you give? Of older women and younger
people watch, the more they perceive Lopez is shown here with her boyfriend, Casper men? Why do you think we have gender
the elderly in negative terms. The elderly, Smart, 25. age stereotypes?

with the Abkhasians, or any other response. Culture shapes how we perceive the elderly,
including the ways we view our own aging. In short, the social modifies the biological.

The Functionalist Perspective 10.9 Summarize theories

of disengagement, activity, and
Functionalists analyze how the parts of society work together. Among the components continuity.
of society are age cohorts—people who were born at roughly the same time and who
pass through the life course together. This term might strike you as something divorced
from your life, but age cohorts actually affect your life deeply. For example, when you
finish college, if the age cohort that is retiring is large (a “baby boom” generation), jobs
will be plentiful. In contrast, if the age cohort is small (a “baby bust” generation), your
opportunities for the kind of job you really want will shrink. age cohort people born at roughly
Let’s consider people who are about to retire or who have retired recently. We will the same time who pass through
review theories that focus on how people adjust to retirement. the life course together