A Cross-National Comparison of Perceptions of Aging and Older Adults, Part 3

Abstract

This is a descriptive comparative study which by definition is concerned with describing similarities and differences that exist across large population groups across national boundaries (J. S. Jackson, 2002). This study explores the differences and similarities of perceptions of aging among five countries and analyzes how the age, gender, marital status, income levels, and country of residence of the participants influence those perceptions. According to the literature review, demographic variables such as age, gender, and income level influence how people perceive aging and older adults. This study was designed first to determine if people in other countries have differing perceptions of aging and older adults, and second to determine if and how these demographic variables influence perceptions of aging and older adults in different cultures.The overall research question driving this study is people from differing countries, and therefore cultures, view aging and older people And based on the findings discussed in the literature review, the additional questions are as follows:a. Do older participants in different countries perceive having a higher life satisfaction than younger people?b. Do males in different countries have a higher life satisfaction than females?c. Do participants with lower income levels have less positive perceptions of quality of life for people older than 65 years than do participants with higher income levels?d. Does marital status influence how participants in different countries perceive aging and older adults?In addition to answering these research questions, the findings from this study can answer some commonly held beliefs about perceptions of aging in other countries, such as the following:1. Do younger participants in Japan perceive that people older than 65 years receive the right amount of respect?2. Do participants in the Dominican Republic perceive having poor life satisfaction?3. Do participants in the United States perceive that the impact of the quality of life after age 75 years will be determined by decisions made by themselves?4. Are there more similarities in the perceptions of aging and older people among participants in the developed countries of the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, and France than with a developing country such as the Dominican Republic?FINDINGS FROM THE STUDYAlthough each of these questions has been answered in previous chapters, this section is an opportunity to bring the findings together in answer to the research questions posed at the start.The answer to the main research question Do people from differing countries, and therefore cultures, view aging and older people differently? has already been answered in the affirmative. There are differences among respondents in the five countries regarding perceptions of aging and older people.The following are the answers to the specific questions posed as a result of the literature review.1. Do older participants in different countries perceive having a higher life satisfaction than younger people? This study found that in Japan, the older the participants, the more they perceive having greater life satisfaction. However, in the United States and France, the younger the participants, the more they perceive having greater life satisfaction. The statistical analysis determined that age neither have an influence on the perception of life satisfaction in the United Kingdom nor in the Dominican Republic.2. Do males in different countries have a higher life satisfaction than females? This study found that in the United States and Japan, female participants have higher life satisfaction than male participants. However, in the Dominican Republic, male participants have higher life satisfaction than female participants. The statistical analysis found that gender neither have an influence on the perception of life satisfaction in the United Kingdom nor in France. …