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Encyclopedia :
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AGE :
Ageing |
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Ageing Ageing or aging is the process of getting older. This article focuses the social, cultural, and economic effects of ageing. The biology of ageing is treated in detail in senescence. There is often considerable social pressure in many modern societies to hide signs of ageing, especially among women. This may involve dyeing hair, elaborate make-up, or even cosmetic surgery. Among the young however there is often a desire to seem older to gain more responsibility and respect. The issues of an ageing population in which the average age of a society is increasing is an important issue in many nations of the world. The societal effects of age are great. Young people tend to commit most crimes, they are more likely to push for political and social change, to develop and adopt new technologies, and to need education. Older people have different requirements from government as opposed to young people, and frequently differing values as well. Older people are also far more likely to vote and thus have comparatively more political influence. Senescence: the biology of ageingMain article: Senescence In biology, senescence is the state or process of ageing. Organismal ageing is generally characterized by the declining ability to respond to stress, increasing homeostatic imbalance and increased risk of disease. Because of this, death is the ultimate consequence of ageing. Dividing the lifespanA human life is often arbitrarily divided into various ages. Because biological changes are slow moving and vary from person to person arbitrary dates are usually set to mark periods of human life. In the USA and many other countries, Adulthood legally begins at the age of eighteen or nineteen, while old age is considered to begin at age sixty-five. Ages can also be divided by decade: See also Seven ages of man for an older system of dividing the human life. Age and the lawThere are many legal limits that are attached to age such as voting age, drinking age, the age where one can hold public office, mandatory retirement age. In jurisprudence, the defense of infancy is a form of defense by which a defendant argues that, at the time a law was broken, they were not liable for their actions, and thus should not be held liable for a crime. Many courts recognize that defendants, which are considered to be juveniles, may avoid criminal prosecution on account of their age. Economics and marketing of ageingThe economics of ageing are also of great import. Children and teenagers have little money of their own, but most of it is available for buying consumer goods. They also have considerable impact on how their parents spent their money. Young adults are an even more valuable cohort. They often have jobs with few responsibilities such as a mortgage or children. They do not yet have set buying habits and are more open to new products. The young are thus the central target of marketers. Television is programmed to attract the 15 to 35 years olds. Movies are also built around appealing to the young. The middle aged and the old are less likely to buy things and are traditionally viewed as being set in their buying habits and not nearly as open to marketing. Older people tend to be much wealthier and to save a much higher percentage of their income. Some tax systems attempt to address these differences in age spending habits such as the concept of a lifetime income tax. Global ageing trends There have been small changes in age distribution between 1990 and 2000. ReferenceSee alsoExternal links |
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