Consider older students at the college, and discuss some of the following topics

Question

Consider older students at the college, and discuss some of the following topics: a) Do older students appear to have some advantages? b) Do older students appear on the average to be more or less likely to make better grades? To be more or less likely to participate in class discussions? c) What are some special problems older students face in college? d) What do younger students most admire about older students at their college? Are there things about them that annoy the younger students? e) What do older students most admire about younger students? Are there things about them that annoy the older students?

Consider television shows or movies that have content relevant to middle-age sexuality. What topics related to middle-age sexuality are presented? How is sexuality portrayed? Are the middle-aged people involved depicted as having problems related to menopause or loss of sexual functioning ability? Is the person’s sexuality used for comedy or taken seriously as part of the presentation? Do you think the clips are representative of real life or exaggerated? Compare them to what our text says about sexuality in middle age.

What types of stereotypes of individuals in midlife does the media promote? Do you (if you are in this age group) or your parents or others that you know actually show any of these characteristics? Are media portrayals fairly accurate or inaccurate?

Explanation / Answer

Answer about older students in college:

a. Older college students represent a unique pool of students. Some may have opted out of higher studies because of financial issues, some may have had children, and others may have voluntarily opted for a job over a higher degree. There are very few of them who tend to start off from where they left – making new friends, attending classes, having fun after college hours, completing assignments and working part-time. Unlike most their younger peers they have to start off on a new journey, especially if they are joining academics after a long time gap. However, it would be unfair to say that their path is covered only with impediments. They do have their fair share of advantages as well. They come with a storehouse of life and work experiences and have numerous social roles; they may have overcome the phase of being competitive and are mature enough to realize the importance of self-comparison over time. Moreover, they value the newly found opportunity of getting back to academics far more than younger age college-mates. The cognitive and moral maturity accompanying old age might make them less vulnerable to drug addiction and peer pressure. They are less likely to be ragged or harassed by their college seniors – who, although senior to them in terms of college year maybe younger to them in terms of age. Most importantly, they juggle numerous roles and getting enrolled in college serves to increase their self-esteem and resilience, if this role has a high value for them.

b. They may not be able to make better grades due to the gap year, and on an average they are probably likely to score less. The reasons being not only the gap year in education but also the numerous social roles they are expected to play. Moreover, grades do not necessarily determine how much knowledge they have acquired during the course. They may not get time to prepare for the exams or complete the assignments on time or with the same level of commitment, but they may have acquired a more comprehensive understanding of what has been taught in class.                         As opposed to grades, class discussions may be more enriching due to their presence. The practical experience they bring along with themselves adds value to the class. Class discussions don’t require the time commitment which is associated with earning good grades and preparing good assignments. Family commitments may take over half of their day and the rest half is devoted to attending classes. Under such circumstances, it becomes difficult to yield good quality assignments. However, class discussions are based on confidence, experience, paying attention to previous lectures and tutorials. And older students may be at par with or ahead of their younger classmates when it comes to these factors.

c. Balancing work, family and academic commitment especially if they have children, social adjustment in college,

d. The new perspectives they bring along with them in informal discussions, their ability to handle different social roles, their experiences and the confidence they try to instill in their younger classmates, and their zeal to learn.

            Some may be brag about their achievements, bully a particular younger classmate, and promote unhealthy drinking and smoking habits in their younger counterparts. These behaviors are sources of annoyance for younger students.

e. Younger students going out of their way to help the older students as and when needed, trying to bond with them, providing them with fresh and new perspectives and sharing their worldviews, not judging them for joining college late and choosing to respect their inability to hangout all the time (due to other commitments) and giving them their privacy are perhaps traits and activities that older students admire in their younger classmates. The healthy competitive spirit might also be an added bonus for some older students. It might keep them motivated to do well academically.

            Immature and impolite behavior on the part of younger students, intruding into their privacy, subtle forms of bullying and microagression, and purposefully excluding them from informal activities serves as annoyances for older students. In short, making them feel part of the out-group has the potential to emotionally injure older students (for that matter anyone) and make it difficult for them to adjust in college.

Answer about television shows:

The way in which middle-age sexuality is portrayed in the media is a manifestation of ageism. Middle aged women requiring Viagra, or other stimulants and men requiring similar such stimulants to enhance their sexual desires is a common portrayal. Although it may be true in the case of some middle aged men and women, it does not necessarily hold true for the entire population of middle aged individuals. Women undergoing menopause and men slowly losing their sperm count over the years are a natural reaction of their body to ageing. However, what the media often does not realize is that exaggerating them and constantly exposing them to the middle aged population causes more harm than good. Women in China for example are known to undergo a relatively later and less difficult menopausal phase due to their consumption of soyabeans. Information such as these are perhaps more helpful than provoking anxiety about menopause and its consequences. Similarly, promoting sexual stimulants in advertisements by highlighting the reduced sexual appetite in middle age may be sometimes act as a self-fulfilling prophecy. It could also reduce self-esteem, self-efficacy, cause performance anxiety and eventually spell doom.

            On the positive side, menopause and reduced fertility in men (with age) may enhance sexual intimacy due to the lack of fear of getting pregnant. They may rediscover their sexual fantasies once their children move out and start living independently (which happens when couples are in their middle-ages). Also, emotional intimacy could be heightened when the couple start living on their own, without their children and can focus on their relationship again. Physical intimacy also need not be restricted to sex alone.

            Media portrayals of the middle aged include graying and balding men with pot bellies who seem to have stopped engaging in health promoting behaviors. Middle aged women are seen using and promoting anti-ageing beauty products on television. The mid-life crisis is also highlighted in various subtle forms. These characteristics need not necessarily be typical of the middle-aged. There are several around me who belong to my age group and have developed a bulging stomach at a young age. There are several such examples which we can see around us everyday. They are not called stereotypes without a reason.

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