Common Misconceptions about Aging - Assignment Example

Week One Discussion al Affiliation Week One Discussion Discuss the societal misconceptions that older individuals have to deal with. One societal misconception pertaining to older individuals is that they are allegedly facing terrible retirement issues and are generally not at all interested in sexual activities (Lecture Notes: Topic 2: Problems, Perceptions, and Stereotypes of Older Americans, 2013, p. 2). Likewise, another misconception is that the elder are predominantly sickly and generally living sedentary lives (Misconceptions About Aging, 2013).

As explained, older people are “generally healthy. Nearly 90 percent of those between 65 and 74 who participated in the study reported no disability whatsoever” (Misconceptions About Aging, 2013, par. 7). Likewise, these people were revealed to be alert and interested to indulge in various activities such as: “using the Internet for shopping, keeping in touch with family members, and learning about all sorts of topics. Theyre attending college classes, taking art lessons, and scheduling trips to Prague, Alaska, and Scandinavia” (Misconceptions About Aging, 2013, par. 10).ReferencesLecture Notes: Topic 2: Problems, Perceptions, and Stereotypes of Older Americans. (2013).Misconceptions About Aging. (2013). Retrieved from Family Education: http://life.

familyeducation.com/health/social-emotional/47269.html2. Research the aging theories discussed. Which one makes the most sense to you-why? Research a study on one aspect of aging and tell the class about it-be brief and cite your source. Do you agree with the study conclusions? There were two major categories of aging theories: biological and social theories (Lecture Notes: Topic 3: Theoretical Perspectives on Aging, 2013, p. 3). One believes that biological theories make most sense because physical changes naturally occur out of biological process which could not be prevented.

One modern biological theory was the programmed theory which reportedly implies that “aging follows a biological timetable, perhaps a continuation of the one that regulates childhood growth and development. This regulation would depend on changes in gene expression that affect the systems responsible for maintenance, repair and defense responses” (Jin, 2010, par. 3). As such, Jin(2010) expounded that there are three sub-categories of the programmed theory which included: (1) programmed longevity, where the life span depends on apparent switching on and off of genes; (2) endoctrine theory, where homones were noted to control aging; and (3) immunological theory, where the immune system contributes to alleged propensities to contract illnesses that eventually shortens the life span.

With the extensiveness and comprehensiveness of the study, one thereby agrees with the study and the author’s conclusion.ReferencesLecture Notes: Topic 3: Theoretical Perspectives on Aging. (2013).Jin, K. (2010, October). Modern Biological Theories of Aging. Retrieved from National Center for Biotechnology Information: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995895/