The Grammars of the Old Age Problem: From Activity Theory to Alzheimer's Disease

275 Pages·2017·7.95 MB·English

by  Robert Joseph Lynott

LLooyyoollaa UUnniivveerrssiittyy CChhiiccaaggoo
LLooyyoollaa eeCCoommmmoonnss
Dissertations Theses and Dissertations
1986
TThhee GGrraammmmaarrss ooff tthhee OOlldd AAggee PPrroobblleemm:: FFrroomm AAccttiivviittyy TThheeoorryy ttoo
AAllzzhheeiimmeerr''ss DDiisseeaassee
Robert Joseph Lynott
Loyola University Chicago
Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss
Part of the Sociology Commons
RReeccoommmmeennddeedd CCiittaattiioonn
Lynott, Robert Joseph, "The Grammars of the Old Age Problem: From Activity Theory to Alzheimer's
Disease" (1986). Dissertations. 2488.
https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/2488
This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Loyola eCommons.
It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more
information, please contact [email protected].
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Copyright © 1986 Robert Joseph Lynott
THE GRAMMARS OF THE OLD AGE PROBLEM:
FROM ACTIVITY THEORY TO ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
by
Robert Joseph Lynott
A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School
of Loyola University of Chicago in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
November
1986
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First, I want to thank Helena Lopata, chair of my
dissertation committee, for her ongoing support and
enthusiasm while I wrote this dissertation. Thanks also
go to the other members of the committee--Judy Wittner,
Jay Gubrium, Phil Nyden--for their many helpful comments
during the dissertation process.
I am grateful to my family and Bill Leonard for
"coming through" for me during my graduate years when
money was very tight. Thanks go to the Midwest Council
for Social Research on Aging for the predoctoral
fellowship and Loyola University for the Schmitt
Fellowship Award as well.
I also want to thank the many patients of
Alzheimer's and their caregivers for allowing me to share
in their experience. The staff at the hospital studied
also were supportive during the research.
The one person I most want to thank is Patty
Passuth. She not only typed all the dissertation and
edited parts of it, but also has been a continual source
of intellectual and emotional support throughout the
entire dissertation process. You were always there when
I needed you. I can't find the words to thank you
ii
for all you've done and put up with during this long
ordeal. To you, I dedicate the following piece of work.
iii
VITA
The author, Robert Joseph Lynott, is the son of the
late Edward Alexander Lynott and Ellen (Kennedy) Lynott.
He was born on December 11, 1956, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Mr. Lynott attended Loras College from August, 1975
to May, 1979. He received the degree of Bachelor of Arts
in Sociology and Bachelor of Science in Psychology,
graduating "maxima cum laude." In August, 1979, he
entered Marquette University and in May, 1981, was
awarded the Master of Arts in Sociology. He began his
doctoral studies in Sociology at Loyola University of
Chicago in August, 1981. During his tenure, he was
awarded a predoctoral fellowship with the Midwest Council
for Social Research on Aging and was the recipient of the
Arthur J. Schmitt Fellowship. He was also selected as a
Junior Scholar for the XIIIth International Congress of
Gerontology.
Mr. Lynott has presented papers at a number of
professional conferences, including the annual meetings
of the Midwest Sociological Society and the Society for
the study of Social Problems. In addition, he has
authored several articles dealing with a variety of aging
and family issues. They include the following:
iv
1985 "Family Rhetoric as Social Order" (with J.
Gubrium). Journal of Family Issues 5:129-52.
1985 "Alzheimer's Disease as Biographical Work"
(with J. Gubrium). In Warren A. Peterson and
Jill S. Quadagno (eds.), Social Bonds in Later
Life: Aging and Interdependence. Beverly
Hills: Sage.
1983 "Alzheimer's Disease and Institutionalization:
The Ongoing Construction of a Decision."
Journal of Family Issues 4:559-74.
1983 "Rethinking Life Satisfaction" (with J.
Gubrium). Human Organization 42:30-38.
reprinted in:
w.
Beth B. Hess and Elizabeth Markson (eds.),
Growing Old in America, 3rd edition. New
Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Books, 1984.
1982 "Considerations on a Theory of Descriptive
Activity" (with J. Gubrium and D. Buckholdt).
Mid-American Review of Sociology 7:17-35.
v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . ii
VITA . iv
LIST OF FIGURES . . ix
CONTENTS OF APPENDICES X
INTRODUCTION 1
Grammar/Method . . . . . . . 3
In Relation to Fieldwork 5
Significance for Grammars of
Old Age . . . . . . . . 10
Analysis of the Alzheimer's Data . 12
Dissertation Outline . . . . 16
PART I "Normal" Aging 18
ACTIVITY THEORY AND LIFE SATISFACTION . . 19
Agency . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0
Timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 4
Amount and Sequence of Role Loss. . 25
Type of Role Gain . . . . . . . 26
Continuity of Life Span . . . . . . . . 29
Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
ALTERNATE GRAMMARS OF LIFE SATISFACTION . 36
The Range of Life Satisfaction Grammars 37
Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Macro-Sources . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Mid-Continuum Sources . . . . . . . . . 48
Micro-Sources . . . . . . . 57
Timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Macro-Timings . . . . . . . 63
Mid-Continuum Timings . . . . . . . 75
Micro-Timings . . . . . . . 81
vi
Responsibility . • 86
Macro-Policy 86
Mid-Continuum Policy 91
Micro-Policy 94
BEYOND LIFE SATISFACTION: POLITICAL ECONOMY
AND SOCIAL PHENOMENOLOGY . . . . . 98
The Grammars in the Scheme of Things . 98
Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Political Economy . • . 102
Social Phenomenology 108
Timing . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Political Economy . . . . 112
Social Phenomenology . . . 117
Responsibility . . . • . . . . 124
Political Economy . . 124
Social Phenomenology . . . . 127
PART II. Pathological Aging 129
NORMAL AGING VERSUS DISEASE: THE QUESTION
OF AGENCY • . • . • . • . . • . 130
The Biological Source: Reading
Neuropathology . • . • . • . . . . . . 133
The Behavioral Source: Reading Dementia 146
ONSET AND COURSE OF ILLNESS: THE QUESTION
OF TIMING . . . . . • . . . . . 163
The Rational Vision . . . . 164
The Question of Onset • . 164
The Course of Progress 167
Measurement • 174
Exemplars . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Application • • . . . . . . . . 184
When Did it Begin? • . . 185
Where Does it Go? . 189
What is the Response? . . . 199
THE PUBLIC AND THE PERSONAL: THE QUESTION
OF RESPONSIBILITY . • . . . . . . . 206
Public Responsibility . . . 206
Personal Responsibility . . . 220
vii
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CONCLUSION 232
o 0
Summary and Assessment 232
o 0 o o o o 0
The Broader Implication 236
o 0 o o o 0
REFERENCES 245
o o 0 0 0
APPENDIX A 259
o 0
APPENDIX B . 261
viii
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
1. Socio-Environmental Approach 50
2. Aging and Modernization 70
3. Aging and Cohorts Over Time 72
ix