Introduction to Sociology

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  Modification, adaptation, and original content. Authored by: Rebecca Vonderhaar for Lumen Learning. Provided by: Lumen Learning. License: CC BY: Attribution
  
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  Who Are the Elderly? Aging in Society. Authored by: OpenStax CNX. Located at: https://cnx.org/contents/AgQDEnLI@10.1:9M5hBvVn@3/Who-Are-the-Elderly-Aging-in-Society. License: CC BY: Attribution. License Terms: Download for free at http://cnx.org/contents/02040312-72c8-441e-a685-20e9333f3e1d@3.49
  
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  Description of elderly. Authored by: Sonja Ann Miller for Lumen Learning. Provided by: Lumen Learning. Located at: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-lifespandevelopment/chapter/physical-development-4/. License: CC BY: Attribution
  
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  Kane Tanaka. Provided by: Wikipedia. Located at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kane_Tanaka. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
  

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  The Nations Median Age Continues to Rise. Provided by: United States Census Bureau. Located at: https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/2017/comm/median-age.html. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
  
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  From Pyramid to Pillar. Provided by: United States Census Bureau. Located at: https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/2018/comm/century-of-change.html. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
  

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The Graying of the United States and the World

LEARNING OUTCOMES

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  Describe the graying of the United States, including the impact of aging baby boomers
  
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  Examine aging and elder care as a global issue
  

 The Graying of the United States

Demographically, the U.S. population over sixty-five years old increased from 3 million in 1900 to 33 million in 1994 (Hobbs 1994), 36.8 million in 2010, 47.8 million in 2015, and 49.2 million in 2018 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2018). This is a greater than tenfold increase in the elderly population, compared to a mere tripling of both the total population and of the population under sixty-five years old (Hobbs 1994). This increase has been called “the graying of America,” a term that describes the phenomenon of a larger and larger percentage of the population getting older and older.