Age Group

Definition

Age groups are made up of individuals who are regarded by society as holding a similar position based on their age. These groups are distinguished from others primarily by their age. Teenagers, for instance, might be considered an age group in the US but not necessarily in other nations. Therefore, based on custom, tradition, religion, opportunity, economic advantage, and social positions, civilizations establish age groupings differently and treat their members diversely.

Explanation

Every civilization divides people into categories based on their chronological age and, as a result, their place in the life cycle. However, various researchers have disregarded age stratification compared to class, race, and gender stratification. Current sociologists are interested in these previously ignored topics.

S. N. Eisenstadt defines age group or grade in terms of the status and responsibilities expected of people at several life phases. Rituals of passage are often used to commemorate the shift of people between age-based groupings. It often refers to five-year intervals in demography, where the phrase has a technical meaning. Demographic information is shown using age-group frequencies.

Although age groups of many forms have relevance within communities of all types, in certain simple cultures, such as contemporary Britain, the under-fives or the over sixty fives classification or groupings are essential in sociological, psychological, and economic research. For example, in the US, significant surveys categorize age-based groupings into three classes 

1. 0-14, 
2. 15-64, 
3. 65 and above