Social Involvement as People Age
As people age, social involvement enhances health. (Cherry et al., 2013). There are numerous things that go on when elderly people interact. In conversations over food and stories, the elderly interact with others. Other things that seniors will participate in as a sign of socialization include group singing, exercise, and reminiscing. Additionally, older people demonstrate group contact by participating in community-planned social events.
Influence of Surroundings on Elderly Behavior
The elderly's conduct is influenced by their surroundings. In classroom situations, older students typically interact with peers because it helps them think more clearly and feel more a part of the group. On the other hand, the interaction with the young in the class allows for the aged to get an insight into the new technology that can boost their knowledge. Similarly, at the church setting, the elderly will often interact with people across all age groups. The church acts as a unifying set-up where everyone seems to have the same agenda for a spiritual growth discussion. The interaction of the elderly increases at the family level because he or she feels encouraged and motivated, and this aids in understanding as well as overcoming life-related stress.
Initial Observation of the Elderly
My initial observation of the elderly was a stressful and depressed life. The person appeared unhygienic and disheveled, and this is perhaps due to a lack of elaborate life support. Another observation was that the person was inactive to the physical gesture, and the ability to physically move without support decreases. From the initial outlook, I could guess the gender of the person as female. Like a shred of evidence, women are always vulnerable to age constraints. Additionally, her attire and hair would tell a lot from a distance. Both the attire and the hair were not neat, and this condition puts such elderly against the expectations of many in society. It is a norm of society that everyone remains presentable to the public, but this is contrary for the elderly. The appearance of the person could suggest that she is above 60 years of age because she could walk while bending and moody. Increased age number reduces the ability to work and this makes the old remain unemployed and thus the deterioration of their economic life. The person appeared to be living a miserable life.
Impression of Strength and Interaction
Even though the person looked aged, she would show the impression of having strength and interaction. First and foremost, she appeared self-promoted by being smart and accurate in spoken words. As a typical appearance, I would see the person experiencing difficulties in seeing objects and even people from a far distance. She would open her eyes widely while speaking as a way of managing her age-related impression. While interacting with others, she would put a smile that is full of smiles and laughs to indicate happiness.
Self-Awareness and Impression Management
Moreover, she showed self-awareness through singing and making phone calls to other persons. Also, as a way of managing the impression of elderly, she would sit in a place and read magazines to get updated on whatever is happening in other places. Psychologically, she displayed ingratiation through being attractive and funny and thus becoming likable to the audience. Conversely, another impression management activity that she posted was not showing any supplication. In normal circumstances, the elderly would bother passers-by and ask for lifts and even seek direction. Interestingly, she never bothered anyone for a lift or help, and this was perhaps to show the impression that she was still active.
Social Interaction and Communication
The person could not pass by without handshakes to all people around her, and this was my observation of how social the person was. Further, she would often laugh and not be discriminative because she would interact with both the young and the aged equally. At any moment, the person would not communicate in a way that would leave people agitated but interact with them such that they remain feeling eased with no sacrifice.
Listening and Wisdom
The people who interacted with the person listened carefully and never interrupted her conversation. Similarly, when listening to what others say, she focused on whatever the message was and not the response. The people never considered themselves as a judge but believed that whatever came from the elderly was full of wisdom and is worth implementation.
Stereotypical Behaviors and Aging
The stereotypical behavior of the elder plays a significant role in that it shapes the way others interact and think about them and how they also perceive themselves (Dionigi, 2015). Usually, the stereotyped aging depicts a negative side of life that a person lives or has lived. The stereotypical behaviors that I saw towards the person would be dependency, ill health, poor physical functioning, and loneliness. Other stereotypes that I equally observed include equate aging that is characterized by weakness at the knee and back. The judgment of age based on the stereotype behavior is prejudicial since it increases anxiety, blood pressure, and skin conductance for the elder.
Conclusion on Aging and Stereotypes
In conclusion, aging is an inevitable life event that many people undergo. With increasing age, the elderly experience a reduction in physical activities, and this finally leads to poor health. Observation of the old introduces the impression of depression and stress due to accompanying stereotypical observations. Overall, the aging stereotype has remained persuasive in human culture, and they often influence the way the elderly see themselves.
References
Cherry, K. E., Walker, E. J., Brown, J. S., Volaufova, J., LaMotte, L. R., Welsh, D. A., & Frisard, M. I. (2013). Social engagement and health in younger, older, and oldest-old adults in the Louisiana healthy aging study. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 32(1), 51-75.
Dionigi, R. A. (2015). Stereotypes of aging: their effects on the health of older adults. Journal of Geriatrics, 2015.
