Communication Between Cultures

individuals 85 and older, 22.7 percent lived in multigenerational households. Of

younger adults, ages 25 to 34, 23.6 percent lived in multigenerational households.^126

This shift in household composition could, in the long term, change attitudes as well.

Perceptions of the elderly common in the dominant culture of the United States

are not the rule in many other cultures. In fact, negative perception and treatment of

the elderly is not common in most other cultures. Let us now examine some of these

countries and cultures.

Latino

We begin with a group of cultures that have a long tradition of positive perceptions of

the elderly—Latino cultures. These perceptions are translated into actions where the

elderly are highly respected, play a dominant role in the family, and are always cared

for. In most Latino families,“older members have authority over younger members.”^127

Part of the authority comes from the perception of the elderly as being wise and posses-

sing a great deal of the culture’s history. This positive view of old age is seen in many

Latino cultures. In Puerto Rican families, grandparents not only live with the extended

family but also help with child rearing.^128 So strong is the bond between the elderly and

the family in Latino cultures that“placing elderly parents in nursing homes or centers for

the aged is virtually unknown. To do so may be looked on as abandonment or rejection

of a loved one and as a serious shirking of family responsibility.”^129

Arab

We introduce the Arab culture with a proverb that reflects that culture’s perception

of the elderly:“A house without an elderly person is like an orchard without a well.”

Reaffirming that view, Hildebrand and his colleagues point out,

Prestige and power are attached to age, and especially to Arab grandparents. The

grandfather is the undisputed head of the household or clan, and everyone submits to

his authority. He passes on the oral traditions of the Arab peoples, using parables for the

moral guidance and character development of younger generations.^130

This deference to the elderly not only is embedded in a culture’s deep structure

institution of the family but also is part of religious training. For example, Mir states,

“Both the Qur’an and the Prophet emphasized the importance of caring for the

elderly. In Islamic teaching, it is the responsibility of each individual to care for and

honor his or her parents as they age.”^131

You can detect the effects of this attitude toward the elderly when you look at

Saudi Arabian culture. There,“the authority, wisdom, and counsel of elder family

members are still to a great extent accepted, and younger family members must wait

sometimes far into middle age before being accorded that status.”^132 They must wait

for their turn to experience the respect and admiration associated with age that are

part of the process that ensures“the passing on of social values from one generation

to another, as the influence of the older relatives is continually present.”^133 Because

of the attitude toward the elderly we have been explaining, elderly relatives usually

remain in the home their entire lives.

Asian

Turning to Asian cultures, we once again observe the interconnectedness of the deep

structure institutions we discussed at the onset of this chapter and the elderly. In places

The Elderly 93

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