Week 15 Post 2

In chapter 25 I found the self theory very interesting. Self theories is theories of late adulthood that emphasize the core self, or the search to maintain one's integrity and identity. In self theories a person ultimately depends on himself or herself. One self theory came from Erikson. In his 8th stage of development he called it integrity versus despair. Which is a period when older adults seek to integrate their unique experiences with their vision of community. Many older people will show pride and contentment regrading their personal history. Another theory of late adulthood is called stratification theories. Stratification theories are theories that emphasize that social forces, particulary those related to a person's social stratum or social category, limit individual choices and affect a person's ability to function in late adulthood because past stratification continues to limit life in various ways. One version of stratification is disengagement theory. Disengagement theory is the view that aging makes a person's social sphere increasingly narrow, resulting in role relinquishment, withdrawal, and passivity. In this theory people as they age, traditional roles become unavailable or unimportant, social circle shrinks, coworkers stop asking for help, and adult children turn away.