| Chapter 2: | Theory |
Chapter 2
Theory
Since the subject at hand is variegated, any endeavour to understand it must employ a variety of discourses. Whereas research in the sociocultural domain usually involves commitment to particular theoretical approach, the case of ageing does not lend itself to any such commitment.
—Hazan (1994, p. 5)
The conceptual model for this study integrates two very different modes of explanation into a common framework: socialexchange theory and social constructionism. By respecting the relevance of each, both the material conditions in which people live, as well as ideas and predispositions (values, identity, etc.) that motivate behavior, are considered. Socialexchange theory stresses structure and rational decision making and a preference for analytic procedures that are objective and verifiable. Social constructionism derives from interpretivehermeneutic thinking that emphasizes subjectivity and meaning seeking often coupled with a lack of concern with, if not active hostility toward, the explicit methodological procedures associated with survey design and quantitative analysis.