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Discussion: Sociocultural Differences in Perspectives on Aging
Western cultures think of
time in linear terms while other cultures perceive the passage of time in
cyclical terms (Helman, 2005). Helman states, "The clock, the watch and
the calendar are among the main cultural symbols of Western industrial
society" (para. 3). How might a culture's perception of time influence
views of individuals in later adulthood? What other
cultural differences might impact a people's view of aging? This
week, you explore different
cultures' perspectives on aging and consider how
these differences might impact social work.
To prepare for
this Discussion, research two cultures different from your own and compare
their perspectives on aging to that of your own culture.
By Day
3
Post a Discussion that
compares your culture's perspective on aging to
the perspectives of the two cultures you researched. Explain why you
think these differences exist. Also, explain how
different perspectives on aging might impact social work
practice.
Required
Readings
Zastrow, C. H., &
Kirst-Ashman, K. K. (2019). Understanding human behavior and the social
environment (11th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
·
Chapter
16, “Sociological Aspects of Later Adulthood” (pp. 703-728)
Optional
Resources
Use the link below to
access the MSW home page, which provides resources for your social work
program.
MSW home page
Tucker-Seeley, R. D., Li,
Y., Sorensen, G., & Subramanian, S. V. (2011). Lifecourse socioeconomic
circumstances and multimorbidity among older adults. BMC Public Health,
11(4), 313–321.
Discussion:
Sociocultural Differences in Perspectives on Aging
For this
discussion, I researched two cultures, African American and Native American,
and compared them with my Mexican-American culture on the perception of aging. My
cultural perspective of aging is that it is dependent on the position of a
person to afford quality livelihoods. For example, poor people are considered
to have less capability to access quality healthcare, implying that they are
most likely to have a high mortality rate, which is a critical aspect of aging
(Tucker-Seeley et al., 2011). My Mexican-American view on aging is different
from others, such as the Native American culture that holds that aging is
influenced by the level of and quality of social support. On the other hand, African-Americans
base their view of aging on one's ability to fulfill cultural expectations (Zastrow
& Kirst-Ashman, 2019).. For example, one is perceived to grow when they
have accomplished some certain life milestones.
I believe the differences in how diverse cultures perceive aging exist due to a variation in the definition of life, community expectations, and norms of a particular society. For example, in my culture, the improvised population is considered disadvantaged due to the inability to access quality healthcare and quality living. So, one when gets old while poor; it is considered a great deal. On the other hand, other cultures,...
