Discuss why the activity model is the ideal model for aging
Compare the activity model and disengagement model of aging, in terms of activity level and level of life satisfaction
The activity theory of aging proposes that older adults are happiest when they stay active and maintain social interactions.
The theory was developed by Robert J. Havighurst as a response to the disengagement theory of aging.
The disengagement model suggests that it is natural for the elderly to disengage from society as they realize that they are ever nearer to death.
The activity theory of aging proposes that older adults are happiest when they stay active and maintain social interactions. These activities, especially when meaningful, help the elderly to replace lost life roles after retirement and, therefore, resist the social pressures that limit an older person's world. The theory assumes a positive relationship between activity and life satisfaction. Activity theory reflects the functionalist perspective that the equilibrium that an individual develops in middle age should be maintained in later years. The theory predicts that older adults that face role loss will substitute former roles with other alternatives.
The theory was developed by gerontologist, or, scholar of aging, Robert J. Havighurst in 1961, and was originally conceived as a response to the recently published disengagement theory of aging. The disengagement model suggests that it is natural for the elderly to disengage from society as they realize that they are ever nearer to death. Since the primary role of individuals is to work or raise families, the elderly will face internal conflicts after retirement when they are separated from these roles. Disengagement, under this theory, allows the elderly to more easily assume different roles.
Havighurst published his activity theory to directly refute the proposed disengagement model, arguing that rather than withdrawing, the elderly should remain active and social. Critics of activity theory argue that it overlooks inequalities in health and socioeconomic status that could structurally inhibit certain older adults from maintaining an active lifestyle. Five decades of gerontological research, however, suggest that the activity model is more accurate than the disengagement model . Not only is activity beneficial for the community, but it engages older adults (both physically and mentally) and allows them to socialize with others. This increases feelings of self-worth and pleasure, which are important for happiness and longevity.