Hello expert do you remember that you did my order # TTs070215_125343_62That I also sent you chapter 2, Individual and Multicultural Differences. SO THIS ASSIGNMENT IT IS PART OF THAT TOO. IF YOU WANT YOU CAN CHECK CHAPTER 2 AGAIN AND THE SOLUTION THAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR ME TOO.

OK THE FOLLOWING TITTLE GENDER, CULTURAL AND AGING ANOTHER GROUP WROTE IT, GROUP # 2 NOW MY PROFESSOR WANTS ME TO READ WHAT THEY WROTE AND MAKES COMMENTS ON THAT, ALSO GIVE FEEDBACK ON THOSE.

I BELONG TO THE GROUP NUMBER ONE (GROUP # 1) I ALSO SENT YOU IN THE OTHER ATTACHMENT, OUR TITTLE IS Gender/Sexuality and Aging BUT, ALSO WE TALK ABOUT CULTURE IF YOU WANT TO SEE IT I JUST SEND YOU JUST IN CASE. BUT YOU JUST HAVE TO MAKE THE COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK IN GROUP # 2 THAT IS BELOW.

Group 2- Gender, Culture and Aging

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For a very long time, women in general have had a longer life span than their male counterparts. In part, it is suggested that this could be due to the fact that women have historically had lower levels of alcoholism and nicotine addiction (two factors that can contribute to premature death)(Kryspin-Exler, LamplmayrFelnhofer, 2011, 541). In recent years however, lifespans for both men and women have increased along with the quality of those lives. Optimal aging has meant that people are now able to see old age as not just a time that brings increased sickness, but the time to begin a new chapter of their lives.

The way that men and women approach these new chapters however still differs sharply depending on their genders. Men, for example, tend to view aging more optimistically than women even when they face serious health problems.In contrast, women tend to have more anxiety about growing older and are generally pessimistic about their health(Kryspin-Exler, LamplmayrFelnhofer, 2011, 541). One of the reasons for this anxiety could be cultural as historically it has been shown that society places a greater value on a woman's physical beauty and sexuality that peaks (according to societal standards again) in their youth (Kornadt, Voss, & Rothermund, 2013, 335). Other cultural factors could certainly depend on racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. For example, in Korea and other more collectivist eastern cultures, elderly people are highly respected and cared for, not only by their family but also by others in the community. This is certainly something that many of us have learned previously, but it is a stark difference from an American focus on youth and glamour that may shun elders more then aid them (Gregoire, 2015).

The other reason for this anxiety most likely stems from the fact that women, due to gender inequality, have historically been paid less, and are therefore less financially secure in their older years. According to the Social Security Administration, women are twice as likely as men to be in poverty at the age of 65 and make under $10,000 a year annually (Specht, 2000). A 2013 report done by the Economic Policy Institute showed that women, black, and latino seniors are all commonly found on the poverty threshold (Lopez, 2013). This lack of resources also makes access to healthcare difficult for elderly women, and this in turn may lead to a greater number of limitations and handicaps in a woman's later life (Specht, 2000). According to the U.S. Department of Human Services in 2008, race also may play a role in estimated financial means with 20% of elderly African Americans living in poverty which is twice that of the general elderly population as a whole. In fact, African American women are said to have a lifespan 1.1 years shorter than elderly women as a whole (ACLU).

In addition to societal, racial and economic factors, scientists have recently been studying how biology plays a role in the aging process of both men and women. Recent neurological studies have shown that men and women literally think differently when approaching language tasks with men usually showing activation on one hemisphere while women doing the same task activates in both hemispheres of the brain (Kryspin-Exler, LamplmayrFelnhofer, 2011, 541-542). Additionally, in studies aimed at age-related volume reduction in parts of the brain, men were shown to have a greater reduction in the brain in general, particularly in the frontal and temporal lobes which is thought to lead to more issues with the executive function (541). Women on the other hand have been shown to have a greater reduction in the hippocampus and parietal lobes which are linked to memory. Women are also thought to have greater susceptibility to Alzheimer’s. Although, this notion recently may just be a result of the fact that women generally have longer life spans than men (546). In addition to the brain, hormones are thought to have an interaction with the aging process as sex hormones have been shown to have an effect on treating depression and even cognition (542). Although the science is new, and the results of the studies above have been challenged with other results in the past, it is interesting to see that there may be a biological piece to explain the different aging challenges and opportunities that men and women face as they grow older.

References

Gregoire, C. (n.d.). 7 Cultures That Celebrate Aging And Respect Their Elders. Retrieved February 11, 2015, from

Kornadt, A.E., Voss, P., & Rothermund, K. Multiple standards of aging: gender-specific age steretypes in different life domains.Eur J. Aging, 10. 335-344. DOI 10.1007/s10433-013-0281-9

Kryspin-Exner, I., Lamplmyr, E. & Felnhofer, A. (2011).Geropsychology: The gender gap in human aging- a mini-review.Gerontology, 57,539-548. DOI: 10.1159/000323154

Lopez, R. (2013, June 06). Majority of women, blacks and Latino seniors on cusp of poverty. Retrieved February 13, 2015, from

Specht, J. (2003) Gender and aging. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 29(7),3-4 DOI: 10.3928/0098-9134-20030701-03

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