Age is another way societies are stratified. Sociologists study how a person's age shapes their identity, their status and their opportunities, and how the meaning of each age group changes over time and between cultures.
Age as a social category
Sociologists divide the life course into stages such as childhood, youth, adulthood and old age. Although ageing is biological, the meaning of each stage is socially constructed — societies decide when childhood ends, when someone is 'old', and what each group is expected to do. These ideas differ between cultures and change over time.
Age and life chances
Age can affect a person's opportunities and status:
- Children depend on adults and have limited rights, but are often protected by special laws.
- Young people may face low pay and difficulty finding work or housing.
- Older people may enjoy respect and experience but can face poverty, poor health or exclusion from work.
In many traditional cultures, and in faiths such as Islam, older people are given high status and their elders are respected and cared for within the family. In other settings, old age can be linked with lower status.
Ageism
Ageism is prejudice or discrimination against people because of their age. Examples include refusing to hire someone because they are 'too old' or dismissing a young person's opinion only because they are young. Like other forms of discrimination, sociologists treat ageism, factually, as harmful because it damages people's dignity, income and wellbeing.
Studying age fairly
Sociologists describe how each generation experiences society differently, for example how the young and old use technology, media or work. The aim is to describe these differences respectfully and to identify unfair treatment, such as ageism, so societies can treat people of every age with justice.