Discuss Reported Leisure Activities For Those Over 55

Erikson and Krause
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November 9, 2017
Discuss reported leisure activities for those over 55. What are some of the benefits of each of the activities? Discuss the changes in leisure activities between people in the age ranges of 54-64, 65-74, and 75 & older. How does each activity interacts with Erikson’s generativity and integrity stages?
The exact age demarcating a person’s categorization between middle and old adulthood is perhaps one of the most varying concepts being used today. Nonetheless, the usual age which is considered as “old adulthood” is considered to be synonymous with the definition of who a senior citizen is, which is someone who is “averagely” at the age of 60 and above. Generally, having an exact age is important for most countries in the world, because it helps in the legislation and provision of policies that are designed specifically for these people. Policies which are usually related to pensions, healthcare, and social, welfare. In America, a study done by The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, they found out that the usual perception of, people when it comes to the age which demarcates middle and old adulthood, is at an average of 61 years old (HuffingtonPost.com, 2012 ). However, because of the reported increase in life expectancy, policies tended to change this and make people who are born after 1959 wait for at least the age of 67 to enjoy the full benefits of their pensions. Given that the pension is now given by the age of 67, this raises the question, does this change affect the leisure activities of individuals from different age brackets in the stages of old adulthood, with regards to the concept of generativity and integrity stages as defined by Erikson? In the succeeding sections, the author of this article would try to expound first on the different leisure activities that individuals enjoy in different age brackets, namely from 54-64, 65-74, and 75 & older. After this, the next paragraphs would be devoted to the analysis of these leisure activities in the light of Erikson’s Generativity and Integrity stages.
Some of the reported leisure activities for people over 55 years old are exercising, traveling, outreach, and joining local organizations. However, in a latitudinal study done by Toepoel (2013), he found out that for people with ages 55 and above, the kind of leisure activities which delivers the greatest effects on them are those which are characterized by “serious leisure” as compared to other types of activities that emphasize on connecting with other people. Some example of these activities that Toepoel finds to be very interesting for older adults is “Cultural activities, reading books, and hobbies”. However, while this might apply for older adults in general, reports have said that for people that for the age bracket for 54-64, cultural activities and meeting with family members are still one of the most effective ways to relax and enjoy one’s life. Perhaps, this could be attributed towards the seventh stage in Erikson’s Psychosocial theory which is the period of Generativity v Stagnation (40-64 years old). In this stage of life, an individual tries to find meaning in his life by “giving back” to the society and making the future a better place for younger generations (BusinessBalls.com, n.d.). After this particular stage in life, the next one would be the stage of Integration and despair, in this stage, an individual is said to focus on “recollection” of his life events while thinking about the importance its meaning. In this stage, people are most likely to focus on doing their hobbies as well as finishing focusing on other goals in life, which were previously “sidetracked” due to other responsibilities in life. In focusing on their hobbies, Krause (2009) said that these individuals are now more able to fulfill the third dimension of his life, and that is “having a goal to strive for”. This is perhaps the main reason as to why the leisure activities for 65-74 are edging towards activities which focus on doing what makes them happy such as shopping (Toepoel, 2013). Lastly, for the ages of 75 and above, it was reported that the main activities are oriented towards those which are not too active especially because of the decrease in mobility. Toepoel in this case has reported that individuals in this stage of life are more likely to develop feelings of “loneliness” despite being connected with other people. Perhaps, this could relate to Krause’s second dimension, which is having a sense of purpose in one’s life.
All in all, it could be seen that as people age, the leisure activities that are most influential for them changes from those which are oriented towards giving back to the community to those which are focused on establishing a sense of fulfillment. Perhaps, this shift could be attributed to the change from a stage characterized by generativity to one that is characterized by integration.
How might integrity be measured? What is Krause’s four-dimensional measure of the meaning in life? How might a meaning in life scale be useful? Could this measure be applied to those who are younger as well? In what ways do each of the dimensions of the measure related to integrity?
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