Aging in the US and Africa

Paper Summary:

This paper briefly compares and contrasts the role of the elderly in the US and Africa, how they are treated and their roles in society. The paper looks at the abandonment and isolation of the elderly in the United States and the integral and powerful role Africa's elderly play in both the tribal and familial structures. This paper briefly suggests that the US could benefit by emulating Africa's attitudes towards the elderly.

From the Paper:

"It is difficult to make generalized comparisons between the entire country of the United States with the entire continent of Africa, but if we focus on some of the dominant paradigms of the two areas, perhaps some useful discussion can be had. Looking at white, middle-class, urban and suburban people in the US, one can extrapolate some patterns in attitudes and lifestyle commonalities among the elderly that are relatively similar across the country. This is more difficult when looking at the entire continent of Africa, but if one focuses on the sub-Saharan portion, specifically in the less-urbanized and less Westernized countries, one can begin to make some generalizations about the lives of the elderly."

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