A concern of mine for some time now has been deciding what language, specifically the terminology that I should be using for my project. What terms am I currently using? What is appropriate within a Tamil context? Is someone elderly, old, aged, older person, grey generation, over 60, over 70, old-old, young-old? What do all of these terms mean? What is there context? If I ask an informant to describe someone for me that is Old what is the response going to be? What about if I ask for them to describe someone over the age of 60 (determined year from the Indian government that someone is considered old), what if I ask them all the things that describe someone who is aging, who is a grandparent? I can’t for the life of me come up with one term that should be used. It gets even more confusing when I think of having that term translated from English to Tamil.
In the book No Aging in India, the author brought up the following point. “Most of the literature in English and Hindi on old age in contemporary India is organized around an imminent “problem of aging”… the language of gerontology is alarmist, almost apocalyptic.” (Cohen, pg. 89, 1989) This is something that I have noticed since I originally started looking up literature on Aging. Most of the articles and books start out with this negative approach. This is especially true about many of the introductions and the terms that gerontologist use. It is often brought to attention that an aging population is a problem. The terms that are used may be saying one thing, but mean another. I say I am studying the aged, but really what does that mean?
I do not want to add to the negative approach, language, and stereotype. I do not want to approach my research as a problem, because, I do not believe an aging population is an inherent problem. I think it is a unique population set that is growing worldwide. I am interested in how others perceive of the aging population and how they perceive of themselves. I am going to continue to research and think of ways to describe the individuals I am focusing on. This unfortunately will probably take me the entire time I am in the field and beyond to discover. In the mean time being aware of the language I am currently using will be a great place to start.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The Aging Process: second to second, experience to experience
Studying the aging process sometimes makes me hyper aware of time and the way that we fill that time. How am I using my time today? What about my time this year? This can be time in reference to the very measurable second by second or more abstract frame of a human lifetime. Most humans outline our lifetimes in stages or phases. The human life is often viewed as a process. My question that I have been thinking about over the last weekend is, does this process have to end on a downwards spiral? On Saturday I was able to watch a wonderful Icelandic film at the International Cinema. The movie, Children of Nature, was directed by Fridrik Fridriksson in 1991. The film is the story of an older man, his friend, and the adventure they go on to return home.
The first scene that I would like to share takes place when the older man is being moved into an old persons home, (this is what it is referred to in the movie). It is the man, his adult daughter and the director of the facility. The director is introducing him to the home. While this is taking place a young girl is serving them tea. She turns to the daughter and asks, “does he take sugar or cream.” Later in the movie two police officials are discussing the disappearance of the older couple. The response is to the effect of, “Look no further than the boiler room they are old after all.” The last scene that I want to describe takes place at the end of the couples journey at the longtime home of the best friend. There is a beautiful compilation of flashbacks of her growing up, working, laughing, and raising a family in the same home. It shows everyday life experiences as they were for decades.
Besides being an overall moving film, I do actually have a point to my ramblings. In the first scene I described the perception of the elderly was that they were incapable of caring for themselves or deciding. The man either did not know what he liked, or would not be able to understand the question and respond properly. The man clearly was capable of answering, and was instead marginalized. It was much the same result in the second scene described. I would like to counteract this with the experience and perception of the couple themselves. During the flashbacks the audience sees time proceed without hindrance. It was not a matter of seconds or years it was the lived experience of the aging process. It reminded me in 45 seconds (time again) why I want to study aging. The reason I care about what I am learning. I love learning about the aging process, because I love learning about the individuals experience with aging. One person in their late eighties has already had nearly four times the life experiences I have. Think of that knowledge!
While in the field I hope to learn what the perceptions and experiences of aging are in Tamil Nadu, India. The film embodied many of the issues that I will be studying while in the field. It showed negative perceptions of aging at their worst, and the sheer beauty of what the aging process can be. I am excited to be going to the field to be able to study these aspects of the aging experience. I want to make sure while I am in the field that I am not finding things just because I am expecting them. I don’t want to look only for negative stereotypes and examples because I am sure if I do this I will find them. Instead, I want to try and have my work reflect most accurately what those perceptions and experiences are. One of the best ways for this to happen will likely be through making sure that I have great descriptive questions.
The first scene that I would like to share takes place when the older man is being moved into an old persons home, (this is what it is referred to in the movie). It is the man, his adult daughter and the director of the facility. The director is introducing him to the home. While this is taking place a young girl is serving them tea. She turns to the daughter and asks, “does he take sugar or cream.” Later in the movie two police officials are discussing the disappearance of the older couple. The response is to the effect of, “Look no further than the boiler room they are old after all.” The last scene that I want to describe takes place at the end of the couples journey at the longtime home of the best friend. There is a beautiful compilation of flashbacks of her growing up, working, laughing, and raising a family in the same home. It shows everyday life experiences as they were for decades.
Besides being an overall moving film, I do actually have a point to my ramblings. In the first scene I described the perception of the elderly was that they were incapable of caring for themselves or deciding. The man either did not know what he liked, or would not be able to understand the question and respond properly. The man clearly was capable of answering, and was instead marginalized. It was much the same result in the second scene described. I would like to counteract this with the experience and perception of the couple themselves. During the flashbacks the audience sees time proceed without hindrance. It was not a matter of seconds or years it was the lived experience of the aging process. It reminded me in 45 seconds (time again) why I want to study aging. The reason I care about what I am learning. I love learning about the aging process, because I love learning about the individuals experience with aging. One person in their late eighties has already had nearly four times the life experiences I have. Think of that knowledge!
While in the field I hope to learn what the perceptions and experiences of aging are in Tamil Nadu, India. The film embodied many of the issues that I will be studying while in the field. It showed negative perceptions of aging at their worst, and the sheer beauty of what the aging process can be. I am excited to be going to the field to be able to study these aspects of the aging experience. I want to make sure while I am in the field that I am not finding things just because I am expecting them. I don’t want to look only for negative stereotypes and examples because I am sure if I do this I will find them. Instead, I want to try and have my work reflect most accurately what those perceptions and experiences are. One of the best ways for this to happen will likely be through making sure that I have great descriptive questions.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Thoughts on Methods
Methods have been on my mind a lot the last couple of weeks. This is partially because I was supposed to be doing an interviewing practice. Mostly, it is because I am trying to decide which methods make the most since for what I am interested in understanding about aging and answering my research question. Where do I want the focus to be? What do I have the capability to accomplish? What are the best methods for learning one’s perception of aging and the aged? In short, what makes the most sense?
At this point I want my focus to be on 3 separate generational groups’ perceptions and experiences of aging and the aged. This seems slightly overwhelming when I think of translating that into domain analysis activities, structured, semi structured, and unstructured interviewing for an appropriate sample size of 3 key age groupings 18-24, 35-50, 65. While trying to accomplish all of this within a 3 month period, in a location I have never been to, and for which I don’t speak the language fluently. When I write this I feel like I am a mixture of overly ambitious, crazy, and a poor researcher. I wonder if there is anyway to accomplish even a fraction of what I am hoping to in my minds perfect version of field work.
As of right now here is an outline of what my methods would look like for each generation.
65yr+ (also referred to as the old old, aged, and elderly)- I want to take a phenomenological approach to their experiences of aging. I would have 5-7 individuals that I am visiting multiple times. These visits would include a free listing activity, and several unstructured or semi-structured interviews. What has been their lived experience of aging?
35yr-50yr- I am thinking that I want to do at least 20 individuals from this age group. (My main concern is that this is not enough to be a significant sample size, and at the same time more than I will be capable of doing when combined with the other two age groups). With these individuals I am thinking that I will do a free listing activity and one semi-structured interview or maybe a 5-10 question structured interview.
18yr-24yr- This age grouping will also have at least 20 individuals. I will do the same free listing or interviewing with them that I do with the middle age group.
This was a first outlining of my methods. I am hoping that as I continue to work on fleshing out these ideas I will be able to make them more manageable and the most effective for gaining a further understanding of the perceptions and experiences of aging in Tamil Nadu, India.
At this point I want my focus to be on 3 separate generational groups’ perceptions and experiences of aging and the aged. This seems slightly overwhelming when I think of translating that into domain analysis activities, structured, semi structured, and unstructured interviewing for an appropriate sample size of 3 key age groupings 18-24, 35-50, 65. While trying to accomplish all of this within a 3 month period, in a location I have never been to, and for which I don’t speak the language fluently. When I write this I feel like I am a mixture of overly ambitious, crazy, and a poor researcher. I wonder if there is anyway to accomplish even a fraction of what I am hoping to in my minds perfect version of field work.
As of right now here is an outline of what my methods would look like for each generation.
65yr+ (also referred to as the old old, aged, and elderly)- I want to take a phenomenological approach to their experiences of aging. I would have 5-7 individuals that I am visiting multiple times. These visits would include a free listing activity, and several unstructured or semi-structured interviews. What has been their lived experience of aging?
35yr-50yr- I am thinking that I want to do at least 20 individuals from this age group. (My main concern is that this is not enough to be a significant sample size, and at the same time more than I will be capable of doing when combined with the other two age groups). With these individuals I am thinking that I will do a free listing activity and one semi-structured interview or maybe a 5-10 question structured interview.
18yr-24yr- This age grouping will also have at least 20 individuals. I will do the same free listing or interviewing with them that I do with the middle age group.
This was a first outlining of my methods. I am hoping that as I continue to work on fleshing out these ideas I will be able to make them more manageable and the most effective for gaining a further understanding of the perceptions and experiences of aging in Tamil Nadu, India.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Ageism and being Bubbly
2/7/11
Now that I have sufficiently procrastinated posting a journal entry from last week here it is. One of the hardest aspects or research for me is the filtering of thoughts and information then funneling that into coherent thoughts on paper or in this case, an online post. This process is something that has not become any easier for me to accomplish. Over the last week and a half I have been looking at articles related to qualitative and quantitative methods, India, aging, ageism, perceptions of age, and the Tamil family just to name a few. With all of this information it is surprising that I struggle so much with writing one simple post.
Two Sundays ago I was referred to as ‘bubbly’ not the worst thing in the world just not a term that I would ever use to describe myself. I have always viewed ‘bubbly’ as a negative or perhaps even weaker characteristic. This negative perception greatly affected the way that I viewed myself, the individual that described me as such, and our relationship. The next day I attended the prep course for the nursing study abroad programs. During this class we discussed the ways that we describe ourselves more specifically the things that make up our identity. What are the values and paradigms that work as my cultural ‘baggage’ that I will be carrying all across India with me?
I have been thinking about this topic in relation to my perceptions of aging and ageism. How do I view aging? What is my perspective of the elderly? I view aging as inevitable, but not as being negative overall. Of course as I age my bodies mobility will likely start to deteriorate and my brain might not function as well, but these things are not requirements of growing old. Not every elderly person I know has to use a walker or can’t remember my name. These are negative stereotypes that Americans tend to associate with growing older. It amazes me how many negative attributes I associate with age, “I’m tired,” “my body hurts,” “I can’t remember,” “I’m boring,” “cranky,” “ slow.” These are all phrases and words that I have said, probably in the last week, to associate myself within the aging process. These are all forms of Ageism the negative stereotyping of aging and the aged. How many times have I given a birthday card that joked about the age the receiver was turning? Does this mean that I view aging as negative? I would like to think that I don’t view aging as negative, however, my language would often argue otherwise.
I am very excited to use domain analysis methods to see how individuals in India define and perceive of aging. What are the cultural perceptions of aging? How does society perceive of an individual in their 40’s, 60’s, 80’s? These are questions that I will be trying to answer throughout my field study. Is there a disconnect between what our perceptions are and how we act towards a certain group? Are the perceptions changing? What can be done to influence the use of negative stereotypes? Answers to these questions will probably not come overnight. The answers may not even come throughout the course of my research, but I think they are important to try and answer.
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