Title: Culture and Aging
Headings: Culture and Aging
Culture and Aging
Chinese and Japanese
Korean
Indian
Native American
Mediterranean and Latin
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Content: Jared Diamond, a professor at UCLA, said that America’s high value of work ethic means that “if you’re no longer working, you’ve lost the main value that society places on you,” and that our “cult of youth” places an emphasis on independence and self-reliance – which are often lost with age. In many other cultures, however, old age is revered. The elderly are highly valued, and the process of aging is embraced. Below are some examples of how cultural attitudes toward aging in non-US countries affect the life experiences of their inhabitants. Chinese and Japanese
In the Chinese and Japanese cultures, filial piety – a virtue of respect for one’s father, elders, and ancestors from Confucian philosophy – is highly valued. In fact, it’s the law in China and other countries including India, France, the Ukraine, and Singapore. “ Placing your parents in retirement homes will see you labeled as uncaring or a bad son,” said Beijing resident Zhou Rui. “ To abandon one’s family is considered deeply dishonorable.” Chinese seniors can sue their children over lack of financial and emotional support; many seniors have already sued their children for not visiting them regularly.