Running Head: SEX AND AGING THROUGH A SOCIOLOGICAL LENS 1.

Sex and Aging Through a Sociological Lens

Marta Sanchez Gallardo

Glendale Community College  

October 23, 2020

 
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Sex and Aging Through a Sociological Lens
Sex and Aging Through a Sociological Lens

The U.S. Census Bureau recognizes the rapidly aging population of the United States of

America and projects that in 14 years from now (2034) that the adults outnumber kids for the

first time in U.S. history. “People age 65 and over are expected to number 77.0 million" (Vespa,

2019). Another term used to refer to individuals aged sixty-five years or older is "the elderly".

Being 65+ years is also the" point citizens are eligible for federal benefits such as Social Security

and Medicare" (Vondehaar, n.d). This graying of the population comes with both positive and

negative effects for “business, education, the healthcare industry, and the family, as well as for

the many cultural norms and traditions that focus on interactions with and social roles for older

people” (Vondehaar, n.d). The way we think about aging is socially constructed and bound to

change as the population continues to evolve. When it comes to sex the act, is defined by the

Merriam Webster dictionary as "an act performed with another for sexual gratification"

(Merriam-Webster, n.d.). Sex has always been a taboo subject, no matter the context most people

opt not to talk about sex and consider this act to be a private matter between two or more people.

When it comes to aging and sex, this has been a topic that is the foundation for ridicule. When

and if you manage to hear anybody over 60 discussing the subject it more often than not as a

joke. This paper will take on a sociological lens analyzing aging and sex through a Conflict

perspective looking at how socialization, the media, stereotypes, and discrimination affect the

relationship between aging and sex.

Conflict Theory Lens of Aging and Sexuality

Aging is inevitable- now, how we age is to an extent in our control. I say to an extent

since when it comes to aging through a sociological perspective there are different theories and

perspectives on this process. There is a study of aging which is identified as gerontology. This
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Sex and Aging Through a Sociological Lens
study has its own sociologic perspective that studies aging through a social lens and this called

social gerontology (Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World, 2010). When

looking at aging through a Conflict theory perspective we will consider the effect of the negative

views of aging and how prejudice and discrimination all of his is seen in the context of

"inequality among the aged along with gender, race/ethnicity, and social class line" (Sociology:

Understanding and Changing the Social World, 2010). When it comes to Conflict Theory and

sex it is important to understand the foundation of Conflict Theory which holds that there exists a

battle l for power and resources among various social groups. When looking at sex the act we

cannot omit gender and socialization and there exists a power differential creating gender-based

inequalities when it comes to sex.

Sex and Socialization 

We cannot discuss aging and sex (the act) without discussing the process of socialization.

It is through socialization by which we how to and what areas of sexuality are acceptable and

demonstrable publicly (Socialization and Human Sexuality, 2016). Socialization is "the lifelong

process of inheriting and disseminating norms, customs, and ideologies and providing an

individual with the skills and habits necessary for participating within one’s own society"

(Socialization and Human Sexuality, 2016). To understand how individuals are socialized

differently and how this influences the relationship of older adults with sex we need to consider

gender and sex. The terms gender and sex are often used interchangeably when in reality these

are two different concepts. Sex is a biological term and is referring to an individual’s genetic and

anatomical makeup. Gender on the other hand is a socially constructed term assigned to

individuals at birth based on our biological uniqueness or our sex (Social Problems, 2015).

Gender is the foundation for the norms that dictate acceptable gender roles (Social Problems,
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2015). Gendered attitudes play a role when it comes to the sexual behaviors of individuals

"Structural factors like social norms shape individuals' perceptions of appropriate sexual

behaviors for men and women, setting up double standards that allow men more sexual freedom

than women" (Lefkowitz et. al, 2014). There is little to no research examining women's sexual

behaviors and gender roles (Lefkowitz et. al, 2014). From a conflict perspective, this recognizes

the power differential when it comes to gender and permissible sexual attitudes. In a 2009 study

conducted by Janice McCabe & Amanda E. Tanner & Julia R. Heiman entitled The Impact of

Gender Expectations on Meanings of Sex and Sexuality: Results from a Cognitive Interview

Study published in the Sex Roles Journal. McCabe et., al. a group of 20 individual from the

Midwest to identify immerging themes related to gender and sexual behavior. Through the study

results, the authors identified that the participants recognized that “sexuality was often discussed

in gendered ways” (McCabe et.al, 2014). The participants elaborated on this context by

exampling how “women are expected not to talk about sexual pleasure and to limit their sexual

desire” and that “sex was viewed as an important part of masculinity for men” in comparisons to

“women’s sexuality primarily through a focus on woman's physical attractiveness” (McCabe

et.al, 2014). Although the study by McCabe et.al, (2014) was conducted through and interactions

perspective the results can be seen through a conflict lens recognizing how sexism and

men/males being considered as dominant have an effect on these individual scripts when it

comes to gender socialization and sex. Adding age to this analysis we learn from the study by

McCabe et.al, (2014) that the societal notion that women are “ more sexually active in their

forties and men peaking in their twenties...” support the stereotypical notion that when men “get

over thirty-nine [or] forty, they’re like, Well, the ships left the harbor! This is the way it’s

supposed to be” (p. 253). This participant in McCabe et.al, (2014) study was referring to the
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Sex and Aging Through a Sociological Lens
gendered societal expectations regarding sex and the pressure that this can have for aging men. It

is through socialization where individuals learn these gendered and ageist expectations related to

sex (the act).

The Media Aging and Sex

It was last week that I had some free time and was watching a few episodes from my I

Love Lucy collection. In this episode, Lucy helps her elderly neighbor secure a date with the

grocer. Lucy was explaining her adventure to Desi (Lucy`s husband). Lucy says to Desi "Just

because there's no fire on her roof, it doesn't mean there's no snow in her furnace." This quote

perfectly ties in with the media representation and social construction of aging and sexuality. The

media has been recognized as promoting the objectification of women (McCabe et.al, 2014). In

2011 by Joan Pierce book entitled "Naked at Our Age: Talking Out Loud about Senior Sex"

participants of the initial survey conducted to write this book not only identified that the media as

foundational for "promoting the objectification of woman's bodies" but also identifies how the

media reinforced "gendered stereotypes”. When looking at the effects of the media on sex and

aging through a conflict theory perspective we recognize that the media is a powerful tool that

has the sociological impact of shaping our perception of the self and society. Keeping in mind

ageism is defined as "negative views about old age and prejudice and discrimination against the

elderly” Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World. 2010).

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In a 2010 study by Yvonne Lai & Michaela Hynie entitled A Tale of Two Standards: An

Examination of Young Adults Endorsement of Gendered and Ageist Sexual Double Standards,

The authors interviewed 305 participants investigating if “whether these gender double standards

interact with an age double standard that describes the elderly as less sexual than the young, to

create particularly limiting sexual standards for older women” (p. 360) Traditionally the

portrayal of aging adults in the media has been as non-sexual and unattractive. The quote from

the I Loves Lucy episode was a reminder in its own way a critic against the ageist believes

attributed to sex and aging. Contemporary texts such as Joan Price`s 2011 book entitled Naked at

Our Age: Talking Out Loud about Senior Sex and Tv series such as the Netflix Original entitled

Grace ad Frankie challenge ageist stereotyped related to the elderly and sex as well as normalize

the topic. When looking at the historical representation of the elderly and sexuality in the media

Bildtgård (2000) recognizes a lack of representation of the elderly in general worst the elderly

and sexuality. The little presentation that the elderly has in the media is not presented through a

sexual lens (Bildtgård, 2000). He brings up the argument that the elderly and sex are seen as

unnatural and non-sexy and are thus omitted from films (Bildtgård, 2000). The focus on the

media is now on aging well. The relationship with the sexuality of the elderly continues to

evolve. Sexual performance has become a sign of aging successfully (Syme and Cohn, 2015). It

is now recognized that “there are significant benefits to sexual expression across the lifespan,

including increased cardiovascular health, increased relaxation, decreased pain sensitivity,

decreased depression, and increased self-esteem” (Syme and Cohn, 2015). This new

contemporary representation of the elderly and sexuality in the media is also recognized in the

McCabe et.al, (2014) studies in which participants recognized the media as” an agent of personal

social change by encouraging dialogue around these complex issues”. As analyzed through a
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conflict theory perspective we recognize the positive evolution but hold through that even though

this positive frame there are still negative connotations for the sexually active elderly. The media

portal focused on "heterosexist concepts such as cougar or MILF (Acronym for ‘Mother, I’d like

to fuck’)” these terms represent a “stereotypical, ageist approach towards older people’s

sexuality and toward older women in particular” (Gewirtz et. al, 2018).

Stereotypes and Discrimination

Throughout this paper we discussed we discussed ageism and its effects on the relations

ship of the elderly with sex. Ageism has been attributed to age stereotypes in the context of sex

we know from popular culture that there is the connotation of aging as unsexy. Although this

view is being extremely challenged with current trends such as the “silver fox” one of the most

renowned silver foxes I popular culture at the moment is Gianluca Vacchi although he is only 53,

he has become the representation of aging and “sexiness” in social media. Keeping in mind these

outliers we now focus on the influence of stereotypes and discrimination on the sexual behavior

of the elderly. To better understand this through a conflict perspective we need to understand

stereotype threat which is defined as "situation-based fear that one’s behavior is going to be

judged based on stereotypes or that one might act in a way that confirms a stereotype" (Voss et.

al, 2018). Most of the studies related to stereotypes and discrimination are attributed to the

career environment and do not consider sexuality. Syme and Cohn, (2020) published research

entitled Aging sexual stereotypes and sexual expression in mid- and later life: examining the

stereotype matching effect in which they surveyed 972 individuals aged 50 and older about their

“attitudes about aging sexuality and their participation in a spectrum of sexual and intimate

behaviors” (p. 98). This study was able to conclude that “ageist sexual stereotypes appear to

affect individual sexual health and wellness via internalized beliefs” (Syme and Cohn, 2020).
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Throughout Price's (2011) book and the accounts of the elderly and relationship with sex, we can

deduce that there are many positive benefits towards an active sexual life as one age. Although

we are making improvements the dismantling and demystification of aging and sexuality is a

systematical process.

In summary, the taboo surrounding sex and sexuality is upheld first and foremost through

socialization. This is the foundation in which we individuals learn norms and behavior as to what

is acceptable and what is not. We as a society must take on a sociological lens to this matter and

consider how we socialize our children. The first set would be to normalize sex as an important

and healthy part of life. In turn, we need to emphasize that sex and sexuality is on a spectrum and

that individuals have the freedom to express themselves until whatever age one feels capable of.

Taking on a conflict perspective we need to urgently address additional systems of oppression

that have not been addressed in this paper but are recognized as having a detrimental effect on

aging. We need to consider race, socioemotional stays, and sexual orientation. Future research

should consider all these factors and their impacts on the relationship between the elderly and

sex.
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Works Cited

Bildtgård, T. (2000). The Sexuality of Elderly People on Film—Visual Limitations. Journal of

Aging and Identity.

Gewirtz-Meydan A., Hafford-Letchfield T., Benyamini Y., Phelan A., Jackson J., Ayalon L.

(2018) Ageism and Sexuality. In: Ayalon L., Tesch-Römer C. (eds) Contemporary

Perspectives on Ageism. International Perspectives on Aging, vol 19. Springer, Cham.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73820-8_10

Lai, Y., Hynie, M. (2011). A Tale of Two Standards: An Examination of Young Adults’

Endorsement of Gendered and Ageist Sexual Double Standards. Sex Roles, 64(5), 360–

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Lefkowitz, E. S., Shearer, C. L., Gillen, M. M., & Espinosa-Hernandez, G. (2014). How

Gendered Attitudes Relate to Women's and Men's Sexual Behaviors and Beliefs.

Sexuality & Culture, 18(4), 833–846. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-014-9225-6

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