Knowledge about aging and the attitudes toward older people were surveyed in undergraduate students (total number of subjects sampled is 1402) in four countries (Japan, China, Taiwan, and Vietnam) in eastern cultures and in two countries (United States and United Kingdom) in western cultures. All participants completed two questionnaires, FAQ1 (for knowledge) and ASD (for attitudes) in their own languages. It was found that within the undergraduate students sampled: (a) the level of knowledge about aging in the western countries is significantly higher than that in the eastern countries, and (b) attitudes toward aging are more positive in the western countries compared to the eastern countries. The data suggest that, within the limits of the sampling: (a) the tradition of respecting older adults in eastern cultures may have weakened gradually, and (b) the modernization theory that assumes industrialization devalues aging populations appears to be supported in eastern countries but not in western countries. An alternative non-linear theory is discussed for the relationship between modernization and the societal views on aging. Educational promotion of knowledge about aging is emphasized for the formation of positive attitudes toward older adults.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BringleR. G., & KremerJ. F. (1993). Evaluation of an intergenerational service-learning project for undergraduates. Educational Gerontology, 19, 407–416.
2.
ButlerR. N. (1969). Age-ism: Another form of bigotry. The Gerontologist, 9, 243–246.
3.
ChaM., & SeoS. (2009). A cross-country exploration: Dietetic students' knowledge, attitudes, and intentions to provide services to the elderly. Educational Gerontology, 35, 801–817.
4.
CheungC. K., & KwanA. Y. H. (2009). The erosion of filial piety by modernization in Chinese cities. Aging and Society, 29, 179–198.
5.
ChowN., & BaiX. (2011). Modernization and its impact on Chinese older people's perception of their own image and status. International Social Work, 54, 800–815.
6.
CockerhamW. C. (1991). This aging society. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
7.
CopperJ. F. (1999). Taiwan: Nation-state or province?Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
8.
CottleN. R., & GloverR. J. (2007). Combating ageism: Change in student knowledge and attitudes regarding aging. Educational Gerontology, 33, 501–512.
9.
Council for Economic Planning and Development. (2006). The population estimation of the Republic of China, Taiwan, from 2006 to 2051. Taipei: Council for Economic Planning and Development, Executive Yuan, The Republic of China.
10.
CowgillD. O. (1986). Aging around the world. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
11.
CowgillD. O., & HolmesL. D. (1972). Aging and modernization. New York, NY: Appleton-Century-Crofts.
12.
CuddyA. J. C., & FiskeS. T. (2002). Doddering but dear: Process, content, and function in stereotyping of older persons. In NelsonT. D. (Ed.), Ageism: Stereotyping and prejudice against older persons (pp. 3–26). London, UK: The MIT Press.
13.
FunderburkB.Damron-RodriguezJ.StormsL. L., & SolomonD. H. (2006). Endurance of undergraduate attitudes toward older adults. Educational Gerontology, 33, 447–462.
14.
GattusoS., & ShadboltA. (2002). Attitudes toward aging among Pacific Islander health students in Fiji. Educational Gerontology, 28, 99–106.
15.
GilleardC. J., & GurkanA. A. (1987). Socioeconomic development and the status of elderly men in Turkey: A test of modernization theory. The Journal of Gerontology, 42(4), 353–357.
16.
HaughtP. A.WallsR. T.LaneyJ. D.LeavellA., & StuzenS. (1999). Child and adolescent knowledge and attitudes about older adults across time and states. Educational Gerontology, 25, 501–517.
17.
HooymanN. R., & KiyakH. A. (2003). Social gerontology: A multidisciplinary perspective. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
KieferC. W. (1990). The elderly in modern Japan: Elite, victims, or plural players? In SokolovskyJ. (Ed.), The cultural context of aging: Worldwide perspectives (pp. 181–195). London, UK: Bergin & Garvey Publishers.
20.
KleinD. A.CouncilK. J., & McGuireS. L. (2005). Education to promote positive attitudes about aging. Educational Gerontology, 31, 591–601.
21.
KoganN. (1961). Attitudes toward old people: The development of a scale and an examination of correlates. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 62, 44–54.
NeugartenB. L. (1970). The old and the young in modern societies. American Behavioral Scientist, 14, 13–24.
25.
OlsonP. (1990). The elderly in the People's Republic of China. In SokolovskyJ. (Ed.), The cultural context of aging: Worldwide perspectives (pp. 143–161). London, UK: Bergin & Garvey Publishers.
26.
PalmoreE. B. (1998). The facts on aging quiz. New York, NY: Springer.
27.
PalmoreE. B. (1999). Ageism: Negative and positive. New York, NY: Springer.
28.
PalmoreE. B. (2005a). Japan. In PalmoreE. B.BranchL., & HarrisD. K. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of ageism (pp. 193–194). New York, NY: The Haworth Press.
29.
PalmoreE. B. (2005b). Modernization theory. In PalmoreE. B.BranchL., & HarrisD. K. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of ageism (pp. 231–232). New York, NY: The Haworth Press.
30.
PalmoreE. B. (2005c). Semantic differential scale. In PalmoreE. B.BranchL., & HarrisD. K. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of ageism (pp. 274–275). New York, NY: The Haworth Press.
31.
PalmoreE. B., & MantonK. (1974). Modernization and status of the aged: International correlations. The Journal of Gerontology, 29(2), 205–210.
32.
RosencranzH. A., & McNevinT. E. (1969). A factor analysis of attitudes toward the aged. The Gerontologist, 9, 55–59.
33.
ScottT.MinichielloV., & BrowningC. (1998). Secondary school students' knowledge of and attitudes towards older people: Does an education intervention programme make a difference?Aging and Society, 18, 167–183.
34.
SharpsM. J.Price-SharpsJ. L., & HansonJ. (1998). Attitudes of young adults toward older adults: Evidence from the United States and Thailand. Educational Gerontology, 24, 655–660.
35.
TanP. P.ZhangN., & FanL. (2004). Students' attitudes toward the elderly in the People's Republic of China. Educational Gerontology, 30, 305–314.
Van DussenD. J., & WeaverR. R. (2009). Undergraduate students' perceptions and behaviors related to the aged and to aging processes. Educational Gerontology, 35, 342–357.
41.
VictorC. R. (1987). Old age in modern society: A textbook of social gerontology. London, UK: Chapman and Hall.
42.
YunR. J., & LachmanM. E. (2006). Perceptions of aging in two cultures: Korean and American views on old age. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology, 21, 55–70.
