Abstract:

This qualitative study focuses on people talking about aging. Its premise is that aging is a label, a symbol, and a myth of cultural stereotypes, that is part of the conditions of growing old in American society. One of the main goals of the research was to identify some features of aging talk. A review of the literature produced comparatively few studies of "Aging" as a cultural construct; this was the focus of this study. The research sought to discover the properties of this myth. It also suggests how the context produced tension, and its mode of expression. Several forms of inquiry were used to implement the study; including viewing the media to identify common themes of aging, participant observation, and interviews in various locations. Data collection took place over a period of eighteen months. Analysis was conducted from a structuralist framework. The study suggests that "aging" is associated more closely with loss of independence than with chronological age. Independence is associated with certain forms of behavior related to family and financial status. Independence is threatened by ill-health, however, adequate finances can allay this threat and prolong independence. This understanding of "independence" may in some way explain the tension produced by the negative talk about aging. The value of the study is that it offered a glimpse at a part of the complex world of the elderly.