Growing Old in America by David Fischer, Essay Example

Abstract

This critique focuses on the strengths of the book “Growing Old in America” by David Fischer. Fischer’s thesis is that attitudes toward the elderly members of society have changed significantly within the past four centuries. The book offers evidence that the elderly in America are often unable to achieve their goals. Additionally, the book uses numerous examples to describe how society treats the elderly. Finally, this critique goes further to describe the challenges encountered by elderly people in American society.

Introduction to the Book

The book Growing Old in America by David Fischer explains how aging in America has become a challenge for many people. The author draws from the ideas of numerous gerontologists in order to support his central assertion that respect for and care for the elderly has declined in the post-industrial era of American society. According to Fischer, elderly people in the pre-industrial period were more highly esteemed. The author uses the word “gerontophobia” in order to describe a new development that emerged during the industrial period. Fischer offers powerful ideas to explain how the American society has established negative attitudes toward the elderly, thus affecting their welfare, happiness, and social position. The book offers meaningful concepts that reexamine the issue of age relations in the United States. Fischer uses specific examples to describe how the American vision of old-age is changing for the worse.

Book Critique: Growing Old in America

According to Fischer, in the past, the elderly received excellent support and attention from different members of society. This cultural condition persisted until the wave of industrialization changed the nature of interaction between the elderly and the youth. Fischer draws on various historical trends to explore how the elderly began receiving less attention from society. Additionally, Fischer describes how in the wake of the industrial revolution, many aging adults began to struggle to find happiness. In Fischer’s view, up until the time of the industrial revolution, the majority of elderly members in society commanded respect from their neighbors and were held in high regard by society at large. Old age was considered to be a meaningful and honorable attainment in society throughout the 17^th century. This circumstance persisted in America until the last quarter of the 18^th century. Fischer explores how the wave of industrialization created few positions of authority for the elderly in post-industrial American society. The 19th century “created a new society dominated by the youth” (Fischer, 1977, p. 59). During this century, the economic status, power, and authority associated with age became weaker than ever before. Fischer goes further to analyze different transitions that took shape during the early 20^th century. Society viewed old age as a major social problem. Many people in society began treating older adults negatively.

Fischer traces these early post-industrial historical trends to the manifestation of contemporary views and policies toward the elderly. His conclusion is a new vision of old-age has evolved in America and this largely negative vision has resulted in creating a new relationship between the young and old “whereby the aged are incapable of realizing their potentials and goals” (Fischer, 1977, p. 104). The author provides numerous examples that support this idea. For example, many young people no longer share their decisions and ideals with the elderly. In the past, the author argues, the elderly were granted a position of wisdom and authority in the family that and them feel needed and important. By extension, the younger members of a family could rely on the older family members for support and advice. This dynamic ensured a situation where the younger and older members of a family held productive and mutually beneficial relationships despite age differences. When these traditional views were replaced by a youth-fixated culture, the old and young were placed in an antagonist relationship to one another. Fischer describes how this ultimately led to the evolution of a society that evidences an increasing level of animosity to older adults.

Fischer points out that many modern family photos also explain how new attitudes have emerged towards the elderly. A majority of the photographs produced prior to 1774 portrayed the best hierarchies in different families with the elderly at the center of the family unit. By the early 1820’s, egalitarian photos began to emerge with the young in positions of familial authority. Fischer also remarks that naming practices have changed within the past five centuries. For example, many ancient American families preserved the names of their grandparents for their children. This practice “began to decline during the 19^th century” (Fischer, 1977, p.105). Presently, the number of individuals using their grandparents’ names has declined to a fraction of its former commonality. This change in tradition indicates that society is no longer associating the idea of tradition and honor with the elderly. More importantly, this seemingly trivial shift in culture indicates that the notion of the family itself has changed. It is now the youngest of the adults who are regarded as the center of the family. In other words, it is the adults with the most earning-power that are regarded as the center of the family. Where in the past life-experience and wisdom were regarded as accomplishments worthy of envy, American society increasingly became a place where the only thing that was universally valued was material success.

The shifting of values from life experience to youth and earning potential ties into Fischer’s treatment of the retirement issue. The concept of retirement is used by Fischer to further support his idea that treatment of the elderly has declined in the post-industrial age. As one aspect of his approach, Fischer cites the idea that until the late 18^th century most men never retired in America. The idea of retiring in itself changed the conception of age because it created an association between age and inactivity. However, according to Fischer this idea is something that sprang from the imposition of retirement on elderly people. As further evidence, Fischer points to the establishment of the Social Security Fund, also known as, SSF. According to Fischer, this policy cemented the idea of old age as a period of infirmity and non-productivity. Another development that increased the burden placed on the elderly due to the imposition of retirement was the fact that most retired people found it difficult if not impossible to provide for themselves while maintaining the previous standard of living. The elderly generally receive little income thus making it difficult to have healthy lives.

The issue of retirement also feeds into Fischer’s overall conception of how the industrial revolution impacted American society. Because a person’s desirability was based on how much work they could perform, rather than wisdom or knowledge, the enforced retirement of the elderly brought about a corresponding drop in their perceived desirability to society. To many observers this may seem like a small development in the overall evolution of American society. in actuality, according to Fischer, it marks a sea-change in the entire culture, indicating a transformation forma  people-based society to a materialistic society that uses people like raw resources without any regard whatsoever to individuality or personal merit. This change in the way America viewed the elderly indicated a change in the way America viewed life at its most basic form. Rather than respecting and revering those with life experience, America began to be a culture that fixated on youth, which consequently played into the hands of the industrial owners and manufacturers who valued people only for their potential labor. If the elderly were looked down upon by society as large there would be no need to employ them, care for them, or treat them with respect.

In due course, American society created new pejoratives for older men in the last quarter of the 18^th century. For example, many individuals labeled older adults as, “baldheaded people.” During this period, new words emerged to praise and glorify the rich people in the society According to the author these pejoratives played a negative role towards defaming the elderly. Fischer asserts that this practice stands in direct opposition to historical tradition. For example, before the industrial era, society treated the elderly with love and respect. Many societies produced the best dresses and attire for these old people, however, fashion became youth-biased from 1750 to 1830 (Fischer, 1977). Although some favorite dresses for the aged survived, new youthful attire was evident in different parts of America. Fischer stresses that these surface level developments in American culture are indicative of deeper, more profound changes that stemmed from the changing idea about aging associated with the industrialization of society. In Fischer’s estimation the changing styles of dress in society showed that the traditional ideas about the roles of the young and old were radically shifting in the post-industrial age. While it is a simplification to suggest that Fisher is blaming youth culture for the present day disregard of the elderly, it is accurate to suggest that Fischer is blaming the encroaching power of the wealthy industrial owners for the prioritization of youth and labor in contemporary culture.

A closely associated issue is that of inheritance. Traditionally, inheritance customs maintained a classic pattern that was intended to aid the elderly.  For instance, every first born in the family received the lion’s share of the total inheritance. This practice means that age was something critical during the time. The practice also explains why every individual in early America supported and loved these individuals. These advantages and benefits diminished towards the late 18^th century and today have virtually disappeared. Many communities and families share inheritances equally. Some may argue that the elderly are currently living in appropriate economic times or circumstances. The author dismisses this argument because the elderly do not receive good medical support. Many individuals are failing to support their needs and expectations. Every community has operated nursing homes in an attempt to work with older people. These facts clearly show that it has been a challenge for Americans to successfully age in their own country. Older adults do not have much say whenever there are disputes. The rich have taken their positions in the society. This development encourages more people to analyze the plight of the elderly in different communities across the world.

Several weaknesses are evident in Fischer’s argument.  For example, some of his assertions lack credible evidence. Similarly, tends to make broad historical statements while offering anecdotal evidence. His citing of history is interesting but often seems to fall short of truly supporting his core argument. For example, Fischer believes strongly that a major transformation in the way America viewed aging took place in the 1800’s. According to Fischer’s research this development “redefined the issue of age relations in America” (Fischer, 1977, p. 98). However, the fact is that such relations have been changing for centuries. Some scholars have also identified ambiguous behaviors and relationships between societies and the elderly. Additionally, some studies have also examined how the rich and the poor have interacted with one another for centuries. This argument also explains why some individuals have received the best attention from their family members. It is also important to understand “the role of democracy towards transforming this issue of age relations” (Fischer, 1977, p. 142). When cross-cultural and deep historical data is considered, Fischer’s emphasis on the industrial revolution as the primary impetus to the modern youth culture is questionable.

Despite these weaknesses, it is noted that Fischer’s book gives a whole picture of the issues facing the aged members of the American society. Some studies identify the challenges encountered by the elderly in different parts of the world. Some countries have reported an increasing number of deaths due to negligence. This situation calls for new ideas and strategies towards supporting these individuals. According to Fischer, growing old in different American communities is becoming a major challenge. It is necessary for every society to identify new practices and strategies that will support the needs of the elderly. If nothing else, Fischer’s argument as outlined above calls attention to the fact that the traditional ways of dealing with the elderly in American society have all but disappeared and new methods that are humane and based on justice are called for in the modern era. The prevailing attitude that seems to exist toward age in American culture is simply to pretend it does not exist and to sweep elderly people under the rug once they are no longer earning a regular wage.

This perspective is one that tends to dehumanize society as it dehumanizes the elderly themselves. Because the true wealth of age is wisdom and experience, the dehumanization of society that takes place with the abuse and neglect of the elderly has a multilayered impact on culture. On one hand, it creates a class of social victims and dependents. On the other hand, it robs society at large of the experience and expertise that older people can offer as a resource. The false friction that the consumer age has created between generations also creates a fissure in society that weakens everyone by extension. This is not to say that a true tension does not exist between the young and the old; simply that this perfectly natural tension can be utilized productively by society rather than as a method for causing a general devaluation of humanity, through the disrespecting and ignoring of the old. Such a viewpoint may seem idealistic to some because the world we live in encourages so much selfishness and competition. The reality is that a materialistic approach to society is not sustainable in the long run. Just as it is impossible to survive without clean, natural resources it is impossible for society to thrive without the full participation and equal input of its elderly citizens.

Conclusion

Growing Old in America offers a detailed historical analysis to the reader. This approach makes it easier for the reader to examine and analyze the unique changes that have taken place in America. The author uses numerous evidence and statistics to support his arguments. The text examines how youth have changed their perceptions and attitudes towards the elderly. The use of primary and secondary sources makes this book meaningful to the reader. This text is also a good source because it informs the reader about the challenges encountered by the elderly members in American society. New measures and legal infrastructures will be critical towards supporting the needs of this population. More research is needed to understand the issue of aging in American society. In conclusion, it is encouraged that more people read this book in order to understand how the aged population continues to suffer in society.

Reference

Fischer, D. (1977). Growing Old in America. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.