Chapter Introduction

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LATE ADULTHOOD:
Psychosocial Development

CHAPTER OUTLINE

Theories of Late Adulthood

Self Theories

A VIEW FROM SCIENCE: No Regrets

Stratification Theories

Activities in Late Adulthood

Paid Work

Home Sweet Home

Religious Involvement

Political Activism

Friends and Relatives

Long-Term Partnerships

Relationships with Younger Generations

Friendship

OPPOSING PERSPECTIVES: Social Networking, for Good or Ill

The Frail Elderly

Activities of Daily Life

Caring for the Frail Elderly

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WHAT WILL YOU KNOW?

  • Do older people become more depressed as time goes by?
  • Do the elderly hope to move to a distant, warm place?
  • What do adult children owe their elderly parents?
  • Is home care better than nursing home care?

My parents grew up together in the same small town in Taiwan. Shortly after they married, they immigrated to Canada. My father is a family physician. To be accredited in Canada, he completed his residency in Ottawa, where my two older brothers were born, and another year in New Brunswick, where I was born. The family moved a couple more times before settling just outside Toronto, and it was there that my younger brother was born. Thus, my parents had four children in their first five years in Canada.

With four young children, my parents finally settled down, and my father opened up a family practice where he continues to work. They had been living in the same house for almost 40 years and were happily married for almost 49 years, until my mother unexpectedly passed away in November 2013. But like any couple, they had their ups and downs. My father has always used his sense of humour to keep peace in the household. Once he got my mother to laugh, she couldn’t stay upset for very long; luckily it was easy to make her laugh.

Together for Almost 50 Years Susan’s parents—the best parents in the world—spent many years together in Taiwan and Canada. Together they experienced many successes and challenges across the various developmental stages.
SUSAN CHUANG

My mother had her own sense of humour. “Your father is the head of the household,” she told my brothers and me once. We just laughed—we couldn’t believe she said that with a straight face.

Then she said, “But I am the neck that turns him.”

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As they grew older, my parents spent most of their time together. Their roles and responsibilities in the family changed over time, especially for my mother. She was a stay-at-home mom until all of us were in middle school, and then she enjoyed a successful career as a real estate agent. At the same time, she continued to study theology, became an ordained minister, and volunteered as a pastor for various churches over the years.

After my mother retired, my father continued to work, although the hours were fewer than before. Together they enjoyed more relaxing moments, reminiscing about their childhoods and their lives with one another, and spending time with the family, including grandchildren. My father has also spent more time reading, updating his knowledge on medical issues, learning Hebrew, and studying the Bible.

—Susan Chuang

THE TOPIC OF THIS CHAPTER IS THE VARIABILITY and complexity of development in later life. Some of the elderly are frail, lonely, and vulnerable to abuse, because of either private circumstances or public failures. For most, however, psychosocial development includes working and socializing, concern for others, and self-care.

As the number of elderly people continues to increase in North America, it is important to understand the theories of late adulthood and how factors such as age, gender, and sociocultural contexts may affect aging, geographical distribution, and political activism. Understanding how older adults spend their time and the types of social relationships they have also provides great insight into this stage of life.