Page 93 - CROSS CULTURE

Societal and familial treatment of the elderly also reflects this

independence and individualism. Their financial support is often

provided by social security or welfare systems with decreased

dependence on their family. Additionally, older people may seek
their friends rather than become too emotionally dependent on

their children. Senior citizens centres provide a means for peer-

group association within one’s age group. There are problems,

however, with growing old in the United States. The glorification
of youth and indifference to the age has left many older people

alienated and alone.

Some families send their older relatives to nursing homes rather

than integrate them into the homes of their children or

grandchildren. This separation of the elderly from the young has
contributed to the isolation of an increasingly large segment of

society. On the other hand, many older people choose to live in

retirement communities where they have the companionship of

other older people, and the convenience of many recreational and

social activities close to home. (Mandala, 2016)

C. The Nuclear and Extended Family
The treatment of the elderly can be further understood by

distinguishing between nuclear and extended family structures. In the

United States, the nuclear family, which consists of the father, the
mother, and the children, is considered "the family." The extended

family, in other cultures, includes grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins,

nephews, nieces, and in-laws. The distinction between the nuclear and

87