A sociological approach to the phenomenon of old age

In this thesis, old age is considered as a sociological phenomenon involving the attitudes, values and perceptions developed by society against some physiological and psychological changes. Accordingly, it is significant to approach old age from a sociological perspective within the scope of society's reactions to and changing perceptions of the elders and old age and the changes in the phenomenon of old age. While, the "elder" is an indicator of abundance, prestige and experience in traditional societies, it is a sign for uselessness, passiveness, conservativeness and being a burden on others in modern societies. This changing perception decreased the respect for the elders and necessitated the development of various alternatives for elderly care outside family. The fact that rapid industrialization and modernization process based on urbanization corrode the settled social structures/values has paved the way for changes in social perspective and reactions towards old age. This causes a series of multi-faceted problems for the elders. Some examples for these problems are physical and social loss of strength, being considered as a burden, exclusion from various social domains, being left in different institutions such as senior centers giving care service for the elders. This study aims to associate the phenomenon of old age and related problems with social variables and make them clear.