The source I chose is a YouTube video by Crash Course. The video “Social Class & Poverty in the US: Crash Course Sociology #36” discusses several aspects of aging. To begin, one point discussed is how the median age has slowly, but surely increased over the last 70 years. In 1950, the median age was 23 and increased to 30 by 2015. It is estimated by 2050 that the median age will increase to 36. The video discusses how exactly birth rates have declined and what factors were contributory. To illustrate, the video states the term total fertility rate, the average number of children that a woman of childbearing age will bore. In the late 1950s, total fertility rates reached a peak of 3.7 million; however, in 2010, total fertility rates dropped to 1.8 million. Furthermore, another point discussed in the video is how aging increases risk factors for various diseases, specifically chronic diseases. Those in wealthy countries have increased chances to live healthy lives for the majority of their lives, then experience rapid health declines compressed into the end of life. Wealthy elderly people are less likely to face rapid health decline than their poor counterparts. While women tend to have longer life expectancies, women also tend to suffer more from chronic illnesses. Altogether, this Crash Course video is an excellent source. It provides in-depth explanations, evidence-based claims, logical reasoning with the use of clear and concise language, overall making it an excellent source.
In connection to chapter 6, this video highlights several points on the topic of aging. To begin, the video brings up the point that with increased affluence in countries comes longevity and decreased birth rates and with that a growing elderly population. The cultural implications of this we learned from chapter 6 is the difficulties countries face in caring for their elderly. The elderly and the poor will be Most impacted by future natural disasters and having access to adequate medical care and food and water. With a disproportionate number of younger people in the workplace, governments will need to plan for future problems. In certain scenarios, employers may be unwilling to hire older workers if they don’t think they can compete in the job with the younger worker and racial prejudice also can be a factor. An employer benefit in hiring older workers is the dependability and integrity that is found in older employees. This leads to less governmental cost with the employee being able to be more financially secure. Because of the biological and psychological changes that occur with aging it’s in any society’s best interest to encourage healthy eating and physical activities to improve the health of all of its citizens.
Works Cited:
“Age & Aging: Crash Course Sociology #36.” YouTube, YouTube, 2017, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ18whKduFo.
SocialProblemsSocialSolutions 