Final Paper: Old Goats
Cymry Sweet
Metropolitan State University
5/06/2018
Word Count: 2122
When it comes to aging, there are many things involved and many things we don’t understand. It is a complex time and it is different for every individual.
Introduction
There are 12 controversies covered in the text Aging Concepts and Controversies by Harry R Moody and Jennifer R Sasser. I think the main ones are Controversy 5- Should Families provide for Their Own? Which deals with the problem of old people taking care of the even older and not being able to afford the care they deserve and need. Controversy 7- Should People Have the Choice to End Their Lives? This is a very two-sided controversy and it is about whether people should have the choice to end their own life if they have a terminal illness or any other life threatening problem. It is the difference between existing and living. Controversy 10- Is Retirement Obsolete? Talks about how the retirement age is rising and how continuing to work can benefit people.
This class has taught me a lot about the older population and the struggles they face as they age. I have always had a passion to work with and take care of this population and I very much enjoyed learning in depth about some of the things they go through. The controversies I am most interested in are Controversy 1- Does Old Age Have Meaning? I am interested in this controversy because I work in an assisted living home and every day I see the difference between residents who find their life as meaningful compared to the ones that don’t and there is a vast difference. There are residents who will sit in their room all day bored, and there are ones who participate in activities and walk around in the beautiful courtyard. I think elders play a huge role in society and I wish they all could be happy. The other controversy I find interesting is Controversy 7- Should People Have the Choice to End Their Lives? This controversy is a very debated topic and I believe that if someone has a terminal illness and wants to end their life at peace with how they are leaving, being able to plan and have their affairs in order, then it is their right to do so. It allows them to suffer less and they can be surrounded by the ones they love. There are medical advances such as assisted respiration or artificial nutrition that can sustain life for years (Moody and Sasser 2018:265). But is “sustaining” life really living? I believe that people should have the choice to pass on before they need to be mechanically assisted to breathe and eat.
FILM SUMMARY
The main storyline in the film Old Goats is based on three old men who play themselves but it is a fictional movie. Each man is stubborn or course and set in their ways. David who is the youngest of the three was just “eased” out of retirement with a big check and is trying to adapt to retired life while also trying to deal with his bossy wife as well as making friends. Britt has lived alone on his dad’s boat for 30 years and is searching for excitement and romance, he learns a lot about technology. Bob is a lady’s man and wrote a book of memoirs about his life as a soldier but feels uncomfortable about revealing his past sins. The storyline focuses on each man changing his ways. What struck me the most in this film was how desperate Cynthia was to have someone to look after. She was missing that in her life and immediately swooped up Britt and wanted to take care of him. I don’t think it is a bad thing, and I loved watching them garden together and do couple things. You could tell it made them both happy.
ANALYSIS
Controversy 1
There were many controversies that appeared in this film. The first one being Does Old Age Have Meaning? In the film, Bob attends choir practice twice a week, him and David go to a senior fitness class and Bob is part of an “oatmeal club” at the senior club where he is president. Bob adds meaning to his life by participating in these events. Those with high levels of religious commitment also have higher levels of life satisfaction that those whose religious commitment is not as important (Moody and Sasser 2018:34). Then there is Britt who lives alone on his boat and isn’t a part of any clubs or activities. He seems lonelier and strives to be more like Bob. After golfing Britt and David are talking about what’s next for Britt and he is unsure but states, “I look at Bob and I think I like his lifestyle some.” He is looking for a purpose and meaning in his life as he is getting older.
Technology can be a scary confusing thing to anyone. In the Film, Britt lives in his boat and has no technology, he says he doesn’t need any of that electronic gadgetry. His friend Bob tells his to get a phone, a computer, and to grow up. Hah. Britt goes out and gets a cell phone and computer and David ends up helping him set it up. Technology is advancing quickly and there have been signs of late-life learning since the dawn of the 21st century. “Today many older people still have anxiety about using a computer. But technophobia is a stereotype, and their anxiety can be overcome” (Moody and Sasser 2018:130).
Controversy 6
Should Older People Be Protected from Bad Choices? Elder abuse is a terrible thing. They are taken advantage of because they are seen as vulnerable. Approximately 10% of the older population has experiences elder abuse including physical abuse, physiological or verbal abuse, sexual abuse, financial exploitation, and neglect (Moody and Sasser 2018:240). Like mentioned earlier, Bob is writing a memoir and wanted to get it published. He already wrote a check for $2400 but was told he needed to write a check for $500 more for “distribution, shipping and handling.” The guy was clearly lying the whole time about needing to photo shop the “fuzz” out of the picture and mentioned royalties in two or three years. This unfortunately is one of the elder abuse cases that won’t be reported or noticed because Bob trusted the publisher when he was lying and taking his money. The number and complexity of reports involving financial abuse of vulnerable and older adults has grown significantly over the past decade. Recent research has found that elder financial exploitation is widespread, expensive, even deadly (Elder Financial Exploitation).
Another form of abuse is neglect, including self-neglect. “In this instance, there may be no outside party engaged in the abuse or exploitation. Instead, an older adult may simply insist on living independently under conditions of danger that frustrate our ability to provide protection to vulnerable people” (Moody and Sasser 2018:248). In the film, Britt has been living on his boat for 30 years and it is a mess. There is trash everywhere and he isn’t taking care of the place. He sleeps on a cot and is getting too old to be able to get in and out of the boat. At the end of the movie he ends up selling it and moving in with Cynthia which is better overall.
Sexuality in later life is also in this controversy and appeared in the movie. Bob has a girlfriend that he met on an online dating site and he helped Britt set up a profile to meet someone as well. Britt meets a woman named Cynthia and they hit it off. Britt asks his friend David for advice about sex because Cynthia is pretty aggressive about it. He is nervous because he hasn’t had sex for 30 years, David tells Britt about websites he can visit. Cynthia and Britt start spending time together and there is a scene which it is isn’t shown (phew) but it is obvious that they had sex. “Older people like younger adults need intimacy of all sorts to be happy and healthy, and that individual variability exists in terms of what people need, want, and enjoy” (Moody and Sasser 2018:243). There was a Swedish population health study that found among 70-year-olds, 46% of the mean and 16% of the woman still found enjoyment in sexual intercourse (Moody and Sasser 2018:243).
Controversy 10
Is Retirement Obsolete? Is the last controversy that appeared in this film. David was “eased out of his job with a very large encouraging check.” He misses going to work and having the everyday routine. David is constantly looking for things to do and is trying to adapt to his new retired life. The age of retirement has been increasing. By 2020 it is estimated that the labor force will rise by 32% (Moody and Sasser 2018:401). I believe that if given the option, David wouldn’t have retired.
To analyze this film, I will use the sociological concepts; stereotype, sexual orientation, social groups, identity, beliefs, social change, socialization, and self. The theory I will use is the disengagement theory.
Stereotype
A stereotype is an oversimplified idea that someone has of a person or thing and in this case, it is the older population. This film has many stereotypes in it. Britt is the stereotypical old man who lives by himself but wants to change. There was also a stereotype mentioned about online dating when Britt went to meet Cynthia for a date and she said that it’s such a relief that he looks like his picture because a lot of men don’t.
Sexual orientation
All the men in this movie are seeing or married to woman meaning they are heterosexual.
Social groups
A social group is when two or more people interact with one another, share similar characteristics, and collectively have a sense of unity (Types of Social Groups). In the film, Bob is a part of many social groups which gives him a sense of unity and purpose.
Identity
It is important for someone to know who they are. In the film, I think that David is looking for his new identity after being forced to retire. He is trying to hang out with new people and do things that he wants to do. Bob is also looking for his identity in a way because he is publishing his memoir and he can now identify as an author. Britt did identify as a sailor, but after bailing out on his adventure, he needed to find a new identity and he found it with his new friends.
Beliefs
Like mentioned earlier, religion and spirituality play an important role in many people’s life’s. The only example from the text is when Bob goes to his choir practice twice a week. It is clearly important to him.
Social Change
When there is any significant alteration over time. David retired 6 months prior to the movie and is having to deal with that change. Britt is realizing that he is lonely and trying to change that. And Bob has a pretty consistent social life as he is always going out and meeting people.
Socialization
Keeping a good social life is very important at any age, but especially for older people as they may lose a sense of meaning if they are alone. David and his wife are always having people over for parties and maintaining a good social life.
Self
A person’s being that extinguishes the from others is what it means to be yourself. In the film, I think the main characters are kind of struggling with this as they are getting older.
Disengagement theory
This theory looks at old age as a time when both the older person and society engage in mutual separation (Moody and Sasser 2018:10). In the film, Britt tries to get his old job back but according to his boss they are both better off that he left and Britt comes to understand that.
Conclusion
Because I work in an assisted living home, I think that I have more connections between what I have learned in this class and the life around me. I can notice a difference in the residents who have family come visit them regularly, who participate in activities, have a social group within the community, and who make an effort to go on outings. They seem happier and healthier.