Social disengagement
This theoryargues that, elderly people begin to disengage from their previous social roles as they realize that they will die in the near future. The disengagement theory of aging states that "aging is an inevitable, mutual withdrawal or disengagement, resulting in decreased interaction between the aging person and others in the social system he belongs to."(Boundless, 2015)
Disengagement theory was one of the first theories of aging developed by social scientists. The theory was developed by Elaine Cumming and Warren Earl Henry in their 1961 book "Growing Old.” Subsequently, the theory has been largely disproven. The disengagement theory of aging claims that elderly people begin to systematically disengage from their previous social roles as they realize the inevitability of death in the near future. The theory further suggests that society responds to the elder's disengagement with a sort of mutual recognition that the elder will soon pass and society must prepare to function in their absence. As such, the theory argues that it is natural and acceptable for older adults to withdraw from society.When the disengagement theory was popular, some people believed that it explained how people are prepared for their death. They slowly start letting go of society, older adults were supposedly getting ready to let go of life as well. Researchers have said that disengagement from society was also beneficial to society, as people moved through different roles in life and created spaces for younger people to grow into those roles. Entering retirement, for example, allows other people to enter the job market. As social networks decreases for older adults, younger people build up their own new networks and connections. (Geek, 2016)
Critics of this theory do not support certain conclusions and aspects of the social disengagement theory. It could be viewed