Portrayal of the elderly

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Portrayal of the elderly
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Modernization theory and the loss of status among
the elderly

• Transition from traditional, agrarian societies
  to modern, industrial societies
• Improved healthcare leads to larger number of
  elderly, institutionalized retirement
• Technological advances lead to new jobs, need for
  cutting-edge skills rather than job experience

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• Urbanization leads to geographic movement and
  breakup of extended families
• Implementation of public education replaces oral
  tradition favoring elderly with written word and
  institutionalized knowledge

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Signorielli

• Age was measured in two separate ways (1) an
  estimate of each character's
• chronological age, and (2) a measure of social
  age which categorized age from the perspective of
  stages in the life cycle

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Social Age by Gender and RacePrimetime, 1993-2002
Source Signorielli
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Source Cuddy Fiske
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Male and Female Primetime Representation by Age
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Male and Female Primetime Representation by Age
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of Characters Playing Leadership Roles
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of Characters With Some Occupational Power Over
Others
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of Characters Seeking Goals