Sociology of aging classmate response 7 - Essay Example

Sociology Response Essay 7: Sociology in Aging Dina Mancilla refers to social stratification as a social where individuals get ranked into different social positions based on the social rewards that they own. I concur with this definition, because as noted by Harris (2007) social stratification is found in all societies and it is a system of social inequality. According to Mancilla the life expectancy of the aged who are in low-income making families is lower than those in the middle and higher classes.

I agree with Mancilla when she says that the income level of a person matters when it comes to how the person ages. However, I want to point out that there are instances when the income levels of a person do not matter. For example, I have always admired the way the Japanese people grow old. In Japan most women on the average live to 87 years and men to 80 years (Cain, 2014). NBC News global respondent Cain (2014), reports that the Japanese can live for 75 years of their lives without disabilities and as healthy senior adults.

An excellent example would be that of world’s oldest man Alexander Imich from Japan who dies when he was 111 years old.From this information it is evident that the income-level of a person does not necessarily determine how long they live since most Japanese live for long whether they are rich or poor. In addition, even though the Japanese dishes have a high salt content and some are undercooked, which poses a risk to the human health, the people in Japanese still live for many years. Modern-day Japan is a stressful place because the pressure to perform is always high (Cain, 2014).

This shows that even though the Japanese have a cuisine that is high in salt content and are stressed most of their lives, they still live longer than people in most countries. In my opinion, this proves that social stratification of people in a society does not necessarily promote poor aging processes in a human being.Similar to Dina Mancilla’s argument on social stratification and the aging process, Maria Garcia also has a similar view. She also argues that the social class of an elderly person has an effect on how they grow old.

Garcia also adds that those who are of higher social status live longer and healthier lives than those who are in lower classes. Well, to some degree this is true because the people in upper classes tend to live on healthier diets, with less fats and more vegetables and fruits. Most people from lower classes are fond of fast foods which are rich in saturated fats which are the culprits of diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer. Living on a host of meals that carry low risks to cancers, high blood pressures and diabetes as noted earlier seems to work for the Japanese.

In Japan, tofu, the konbu seaweed, squid and octopus are available to all, whether rich or poor. Thus, I believe that even though social classes have an effect on how people live and age, the diet matters more.ReferencesHarris, D. (2007). “Chapter 7: Social stratification and class”. In The sociology of aging. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Inc.Cain, G. (2014, June 13). Japan has the highest life expectancy of any major country, why?. NBC News. Retrieved from http://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/japan-has-highest-life-expectancy-any-major-country-why-n130871