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80% of adults suffer from aging

In a recent study of online anti-aging advertisements, Toni Calasanti (Social Forces, September 2007) found the industry isn’t just about smoothing wrinkles and easing arthritis—it’s also about treating the onset of the aging “disease” and restoring the gender inequalities associated with youth.

The multi-billion dollar anti-aging industry fills its ads with laser treatments and hormonal therapies promising to “stop the Aging Monster in its tracks.” In doing so, Calasanti argues, inevitable aging is equated with a medical condition that can, and should, be prevented.

However, the claws of the Aging Monster produce more than preventable wrinkles. The “shameful loss” of youth is connected to a loss of distinct gender identities. For women, skin creams and Botox promise a more youthful—and thus more feminine—appearance. Ads targeting men, on the other hand, claim aging reduces performance and physical strength.

So, it seems, growing old has become optional. But the available options depend on your gender, not the Fountain of Youth. W.L.

if nobody’s leading, is it anarchy?

People often assume an organization will fall apart if nobody’s in charge. But according to Dmitry M. Khodyakov’s study (Social Forces, September 2007) of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, which has no conductor, musicians can enjoy their relative freedom without turning into a noisy, disorganized mess. They just need trust and control.

The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra was founded by musicians looking for more artistic freedom in a chamber orchestra with no hierarchical control. The musicians soon found, though, that with complete freedom came a certain degree of chaos. With no conductor to call the shots, each musician was insistent the group try their particular interpretation of each composition.

The musicians managed to overcome this problem by putting rotating groups of musicians in charge. Only a few people made decisions at a given time, but every musician eventually got a turn to play boss. And as they played successfully with each other, the group developed more trust in each other’s abilities.

The interplay of trust and control allows musicians not only to feel comfortable going with the flow, but also to openly disagree with each other without fear of ruining their cooperative relationships. M.L.K.

weighing college decisions

It seems grades aren’t the only scale that matters when it comes to going to college.

A recent study by Robert Crosnoe (Sociology of Education, July 2007) that reports obese girls are less likely to attend college than their skinny peers reminds us how the social life of the lunchroom can be associated with problems in the classroom.

Drawing from a survey of 10,000 high school students, Crosnoe evaluated the consequences of social stigma and school contexts to explain why girls—and not boys—are most affected by a few extra pounds.

Obese girls suffer more emotional distress from teasing and name-calling than other girls. They’re also more likely to skip school, fail classes, and self-medicate with drugs and alcohol. Together these factors account for one-third of the obesity effect on college attendance. However, going to school with lots of other obese girls boosts the odds an overweight senior will make it to campus in the fall. W.L.