Eleusian Fields for the Elderly – Building an Atmosphere of Aging

Concentrating on the elderly in capitalist society, the meaning of aging takes a prominent stance. What does aging mean in the Western world  and in what way is it related to levels of health and happiness? If life expectancy rates are for 10% dictated by genes and for 90% by lifestyle, what factors of lifestyle could benefit an aging population facing retirement of the labor space and forthcoming identity transformations and increasing risks of mental disorders and chronic diseases?

T O  B E  O L D  I S  T O  B E  O U T  O F  O R D E R

The major emphasis on career excludes people passing the age of 65 from labor life, entering a new existential phase, characterized by different ways of meaning-giving. The rigid division of work and private life influences the way in which people perceive themselves and their place in society causing a transitional phase when retiring, retreating from the stage of  contributing actively to society. Together with the year of birth, the year of retirement is characterized by the highest death rate due to these heavy transformational forces and their effect on personality, identity and societal positioning. Feelings of disintegration, loneliness and exclusion come into existence for if people reach a certain age – the age of retirement - they are disabled to relate to anything else for their identity and reason d’etre mostly rely on their professional status. Being excluded from the labor stage brings in questions on how to place oneself in a society guided by labor life when not taking actively part in this world of working. Becoming older and older in the end completely dependent on the care of others and in many cases on old people’s homes, they vagueing away from society, having no function, do nothing and rapidly degenerate.

The treatment of older people is a fundamental force in how the eldery are aging. In comparison to the Western world, African society is fundamentally different. Throughout Africa, the principle of gerontocracy prevails, which assumes the elder, by virtue of his age, is vested with certain authority and certain power. A premises, because for them, wisdom is a reflection of experience presupposing the older the man in society, the larger his experience concerning problems embedded in that society, the greater his reflective abilities and therefore the greater his wisdom and problem-solving capacities.

W R I N K L E  W I S D O M

A major difference in comparison to Western society for in African society Man is always developing and learning until he or she passes away by living in a society that takes human beings on a journey from birth to death so that life has meaning to the end, not until the moment a particular age is reached. In this more flexible setting surrounded by nature, the largest amount of the eldery lives alone or in companion of their spouse. Not troubled by any form of solitary loneliness, they are surrounded by a community of mutual care and assistance, constantly visiting back and forth with children and grandchildren largely living in urban areas. Being highly self-sufficient they are taking fruits and vegetables from their own gardens making and baking homemade treats and healthy dishes generally consisting of raw fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, tofu, fish, meat and other protein-rich ingredients. Although living at the countryside of mountain areas they are strongly connected to previous village people and/or family members living elsewhere. Recreational activities as gardening, walking, tai chi, yoga and other physical movement existing out of daily practices makes them spiritual, psychological and physical vital. Except the African areas, the islands of the Italian island of Sardinia, The Japanese island Okinawa and The Pakistanian Hanza area belong to what could be perceived as the Eleusian Fields for the Eldery.

G R A C I N G  A G I N G

What contrasts these cultures of longevity to cultures of capitalism is the association of aging with sources of wisdom and authority versus the label of ‘out of order’ having no sense-making societal function.

 .. to be continued

- Eline