Youths’ Perception of the Older People and Implications in Ekiti State (Nigeria)
Keywords:
Type:
TextAbstract
This study explored how young people perceive the older people and its implications on the lives of the older people in selected cities in Nigeria. Questionnaire were distributed amount 200 youths purposively selected in Oye and Ado Ekiti southwest Nigeria. In-depth interview sessions were equally conducted among 12 participants. Findings about youths’ engagements with the older people revealed that about 45 percent of the respondents felt the older people were difficult to please and too demanding; notwithstanding, a larger part of the respondents expressed a positive disposition about the older people. In-depth interview however revealed that many of the youths were not willing to have a close interaction with the older people as they considered them scary, old fashioned and too demanding. Many of the respondents attributed factors influencing their perception to family, personal experience and the media. From the older people perspective, in-depth interview revealed that the older people has not been receiving the needed supports from the youths and some of the implications include labelling; isolation, minimal support and stress. Youths’ negative perceptions about the older people are based on assumptions and media influences and not from direct experiences
Downloads
References
Aboderin, I., & Beard, J. (2015). Older people’s health in sub-Saharan Africa. The Lancet, 385(9968), e9–e11. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(14)61602-0
Google Scholar CrossrefAlcock, I., White, M.P., Wheeler, B.W., Lora E. Fleming, and Depledge, M.H. (2014). Longitudinal Effects on Mental Health of Moving to Greener and Less Green Urban Areas Environmental Science & Technology 48 (2), 1247-1255 DOI: 10.1021/es403688w
Google Scholar CrossrefAnderson L.B, Gettings P.E. (2022) "Old age scares me": Exploring young adults' feelings about aging before and during COVID-19. J Aging Stud. 2022 Mar;60:100998. doi: 10.1016/j.jaging.2022.100998. Epub 2022 Jan 11. PMID: 35248312; PMCID: PMC8747948
Google Scholar CrossrefAnderson, L. B., & Gettings, P. E. (2019). Examining young adults’ expectations for retirement: an emerging tension. Communication Studies, 71(1), 59–77. https://doi.org/10.1080/10510974.2019.1691619
Google Scholar CrossrefBerger, P., & Luckmann, T. (1967). The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge. Garden City, NY: Doubleday.
Google Scholar CrossrefBerger, P., & Luckmann, T. (2016). The social construction of reality. In Social Theory Re-Wired (pp. 110-122). Routledge.
Google Scholar CrossrefBerger, P.L. and Luckmann, T. (1966) The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge. Doubleday & Company, New York.
Google Scholar CrossrefBryant, C., Bei, B., Gilson, K., Komiti, A., Jackson, H., & Judd, F. (2012). The relationship between attitudes to aging and physical and mental health in older adults. International Psychogeriatrics, 24(10), 1674–1683. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1041610212000774
Google Scholar CrossrefCarr D.C. (2016). Why young people should care about aging. Psychology Today. 2016 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-third-age/201609/why-young-people-should-care-about-aging
Google Scholar CrossrefChan, S. W., Au, A., & Lai, M. (2020). The detrimental impacts of negative age stereotypes on the episodic memory of older adults: does social participation moderate the effects? BMC Geriatrics, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-020-01833-z
Google Scholar CrossrefChang, E., Kannoth, S., Levy, S., Wang, S., Lee, J. E., & Levy, B. R. (2020). Global reach of ageism on older persons’ health: A systematic review. PLOS ONE, 15(1), e0220857. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0220857
Google Scholar CrossrefClark, H., Coll-Seck, A. M., Banerjee, A., Peterson, S., Dalglish, S. L., Ameratunga, S., Balabanova, D., Bhan, M. K., Bhutta, Z. A., Borrazzo, J., Claeson, M., Doherty, T., El‐Jardali, F., George, A., Gichaga, A., Gram, L., Hipgrave, D., Kwamie, A., Meng, Q., . . . Costello, A. (2020). A future for the world’s children? A WHO–UNICEF–Lancet Commission. The Lancet, 395(10224), 605–658. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(19)32540-1
Google Scholar CrossrefEbimgbo, S.O., Chukwu, N.E., Okoye, U.O. (2021). Gender differences in family support to older adults and implications for social work in south-east Nigeria Journal of Aging Studies, 59, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2021.100979.
Google Scholar CrossrefEhni, H., & Wahl, H. (2020). Six propositions against ageism in the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Aging & Social Policy, 32(4–5), 515–525. https://doi.org/10.1080/08959420.2020.1770032
Google Scholar CrossrefGasiorek J., Fowler C., Giles H. (2020). In: Communication across the lifespan. Nussbaum J., editor. Peter Lang; Communication and successful aging; pp. 35–50.
Google Scholar CrossrefGesinde AM, Adekeye OA, Iruonagbe TC (2011). Counselling Services for Remediating the Biopsychosocial Challenges of the Aged in Nigeria. J. Func. Manage. 3(1): 89-98.
Google Scholar CrossrefGrigorievna, K.O. (2022) Young People's Perceptions of Old Age Acta Scientific Neurology (ISSN: 2582-1121) Volume 5 Issue 7 July 2022.
Google Scholar CrossrefHardy, M. and Skirbekk, V. (2013). Research opportunities in the demography of aging. In Waite, L.J. and Plewes, T.J. Editors. New Directions in the Sociology of Aging. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/18508.
Google Scholar CrossrefHorowitz A. (1985). Family caregiving to the frail older people. In: Eisdorfer C, editor. Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics. Vol. 5. New York: Springer Publishing; pp. 194–246.
Google Scholar CrossrefHummert M.L., Shaner J., Garstka T., Henry C. (1998). Communication with older adults: The influence of age stereotypes, context, and communicator age. Human Communication Research. Vol. 25:124–151. doi: 10.1111/j.14682958.1998.tb00439
Google Scholar CrossrefHummert, M. L. (1990). Multiple stereotypes of elderly and young adults: A comparison of structure and evaluations. Psychology and Aging, 5(2), 182–193. https://doi.org/10.1037/0882-7974.5.2.182
Google Scholar CrossrefHummert, M. L., Garstka, T. A., Shaner, J. L., & Strahm, S. (1994). Stereotypes of the elderly held by young, middle-aged, and elderly adults. Journal of Gerontology, 49(5), P240–P249. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronj/49.5.P240.
Google Scholar CrossrefJakovljević, M., Westerman, R., Sharma, T., & Lamnisos, D. (2020). Aging and global health. In Springer eBooks (pp. 1–30). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05325-3_4-1
Google Scholar CrossrefJobber, J. (2004). Principles and practice of marketing (41 h ed). U.K: McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.
Google Scholar CrossrefKalavar, J. M. (2001). Examining ageism: do male and female college students differ? Educational Gerontology, 27(6), 507–513. https://doi.org/10.1080/036012701316894199
Google Scholar CrossrefKoch, C. (2011). Think Different: How Perception Reveals Brain Differences. Scientific American. Retrieved 18 December 2017, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/think-differentjan-11/
Google Scholar CrossrefLaditka J, Laditka S. (2001). Adult children helping older parents. Res Aging.;23:429–456
Google Scholar CrossrefLevy, B. R., Chung, P. H., Bedford, T., & Navrazhina, K. (2013). Facebook as a site for negative age stereotypes. The Gerontologist, 54(2), 172–176. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gns194
Google Scholar CrossrefLichtenstein, B. (2020). From “Coffin Dodger” to “Boomer Remover”: Outbreaks of ageism in three countries with divergent approaches to coronavirus control. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 76(4), e206–e212. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaa102
Google Scholar CrossrefLin, I., Goldman, N., Weinstein, M., Lin, Y., Gorrindo, T., & Seeman, T. E. (2003). Gender differences in adult children’s support of their parents in Taiwan. Journal of Marriage and Family, 65(1), 184–200. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2003.00184.x
Google Scholar CrossrefLöckenhoff C.E, De Fruyt F, Terracciano A, McCrae R.R, De Bolle M, Costa P.T. Jr, Aguilar-Vafaie M.E., Ahn C.K., Ahn H.N., Alcalay L, Allik J, Avdeyeva T.V., Barbaranelli C, Benet-Martinez V, Blatný M, Bratko D, Cain T.R., Crawford J.T., Lima M.P., Ficková E, Gheorghiu M, Halberstadt J, Hrebícková M, Jussim L, Klinkosz W, Knezević G, de Figueroa N.L., Martin T.A., Marusić I, Mastor K.A., Miramontez D.R., Nakazato K., Nansubuga F, Pramila V.S., Realo A, Rolland J.P, Rossier J, Schmidt V, Sekowski A, Shakespeare-Finch J, Shimonaka Y, Simonetti F, Siuta J, Smith P.B., Szmigielska B, Wang L, Yamaguchi M, Yik M. (2009). Perceptions of aging across 26 cultures and their culture-level associates. Psychol Aging. 24(4):941-54. doi: 10.1037/a0016901. PMID: 20025408; PMCID: PMC2933107.
Google Scholar CrossrefMarques, S., Mariano, J., Mendonça, J., de Tavenier, W., Hess, M., Naegele, L.,Martins, D. (2020). Determinants of ageism against older adults: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(7),
Google Scholar Crossrefhttps://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17072560
Google Scholar CrossrefNational Bureau of Statistics (2012). https://www.nigerianstat.gov.ng/
Google Scholar CrossrefNelson T.D. (2005). Ageism: Prejudice against our feared future self. Journal of Social Issues. 2005;61(2):207–222. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-4560.2005.00402.x.
Google Scholar CrossrefNelson-Becker H., Victor C. (2020). Dying alone and lonely dying: Media discourse and pandemic conditions. Journal of Aging Studies. 2020;55 doi: 10.1016/j.jaging.2020.100878.
Google Scholar CrossrefNortey, S.T., Aryeetey, G.C., Aikins, M. et al. (2017). Economic burden of family caregiving for older people population in southern Ghana: the case of a peri-urban district. Int J Equity Health 16, 16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-016-0511-9
Google Scholar CrossrefOry M., Hoffman M.K., Hawkins M., Sanner B., Mickenhaupt R. (2003). Challenging aging stereotypes: Strategies for creating a more active society. American Journal of Preventive Medicine.25:164–171. doi: 10.1016/S0749-3797.
Google Scholar CrossrefPalmore, E. (1977). Facts on aging: A short quiz. The Gerontologist, 17(4), 315–320. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/17.4.315
Google Scholar CrossrefPinquart, M., Sorensen S. (2005). Ethnic differences in stressors, resources, and psychological outcomes of family caregiving: A meta-analysis. The Gerontologist.;45:90–106.
Google Scholar CrossrefPronin E., Ross L.(2006). Temporal differences in trait self-ascription: When the self is seen as another. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 90(2):197–209. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.90.2.197.
Google Scholar CrossrefRobison, J., Fortinsky, R., Kleppinger, A., Shugrue, N. and Porter, M. (2009) A Broader View of Family Caregiving: Effects of Caregiving and Caregiver Conditions on Depressive Symptoms, Health, Work, and Social Isolation. The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 64B, 788-798.
Google Scholar Crossrefhttps://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbp015
Google Scholar CrossrefVerhage, M., Schuurman, B., & Lindenberg, J. (2021). How young adults view older people: Exploring the pathways of constructing a group image after participation in an intergenerational programme. Journal of Aging Studies, 56, 100912. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2021.100912
Google Scholar CrossrefWHO Regional Office for Europe. Youth: The Future Is Ours! (2020). Available online at: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/439551/youth-sustainable-development.pdf?ua=1.
Google Scholar CrossrefWong B.L.H, Siepmann I, Rangan A, El-Omrani O, Davis D, Arias-Casais N, Saminarsih DS and Gems D (2021) Involving Young People in Healthy Ageing: A Crucial Facet to Achieving the Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030). Front. Public Health 9:723068. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.723068
Google Scholar CrossrefWorld Health Organisation (WHO) (2020). Final Proposal for a Decade of Healthy Ageing. (2020). Available online at: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/decade-of-healthy-ageing/final-decade-proposal/decade-proposal-final-apr2020-en.pdf .
Google Scholar CrossrefPublished
Almetric
Dimensions
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Babatunde Joshua Omotosho, Roleola Tobiloba
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
All articles are published under Creative Commons copyright (CC BY). Authors hold the copyright and retain publishing rights without restrictions, but authors allow anyone to download, reuse, reprint, modify, distribute, and/or copy articles as the original source is cited.
