Explain disengagement and activity theory?
1 Answer
Activity Theory :
It states that older people are happiest when they keep active. It assumes that a person will age “successfully” if they keep up with social interactions and the quality of life for the person will improve or stay the same as what is was when they were younger/working. It includes doing activities that challenge them both physically and mentally to help keep them emotionally healthy and less likely to develop mental health disorders related to aging e.g. dementia. By keeping yourself both physically and mentally challenge will increase feelings of pleasure. By keeping active it assumes that it will help the person replace the roles that they used to have before they retired and resist the stereotypes of older people that have been assumed by society.
Disengagement Theory :
This theory assumes that as you grow older you will begin to withdraw yourself from society and only keep contact with close friends and family. The theory states that if this happens then it will benefit both older people and the social system. By gradually withdrawing themselves from society will mean that society can keep its balance and allows the person to reflect on themselves without having to think about what their role in society is. As well as this this theory states that if older people withdraw themselves from society then it means that they can pass on their knowledge to the younger generation so that when they die society is able to carry on functioning.
