In the Country of the Old

Aging and Cultural Context

Aging is a universal experience, and an individual one. But it is also a cultural phenomenon. Our ethnic and social background has a strong influence on how we deal with growing old.

This collection draws on research from around the world to explore how cultural context shapes and defines the aging process. Studies examine differing patterns in the lives of the aged in Portugal, Polynesia, Sweden, and Israel, and among ethnic groups in the United States.