A Study on the Life Experiences of the Elderly in the Context of Aging Theories

Muhammet Ali Köroğlu

Makale detayları

A Study on the Life Experiences of the Elderly in the Context of Aging Theories

Yazarlar:

Muhammet Ali Köroğlu

Yayıncı:

Gumushane University

Ana Başlıklar:

Yaşlılık Sosyolojisi

Dergi:

Mavi Atlas Vol.13 Issue 1, pp.99-126

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

4/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001346383

pISSN:

2148-5232

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 Old age is one of the social phenomena that most significantly affects todays societies, especially in economic, social, and political domains. World population statistics indicate that the phenomenon of aging will continue to gain importance for all societies in the near future. The increase in the elderly population, combined with declining birth rates, poses an existential threat to many societies. In the 21st century, as human life expectancy has nearly doubled compared to earlier periods, humanity is encountering a social phenomenon it had not previously experienced. While old age was once a rare experience attained by only a few, today it is perceived as a typical phase of human development, accessible to nearly everyone except in exceptional cases. However, how old age is positioned within the social value system and what kind of status is granted to elderly individuals vary across societies. This also influences the processes through which elderly people reconstruct their identities and adapt to new roles. Although affected by social values, expectations of status, and roles, aging remains a personal and unique experience. The theoretical approaches proposed to understand and explain old age are relatively new and tend to objectify the experience. In some cases, aging becomes too complex to be fully grasped through the aging theories available in the literature. Moreover, such theories reflect the intellectual climate of their respective eras. In this context, the present study problematizes the relationship between theoretical approaches to aging and the individual experiences of growing old. For this purpose, in-depth interviews were conducted with 28 elderly individuals living in the provinces of Uşak and Manisa. These interviews aimed to understand how aging is experienced across different stages of life. The data collected were subjected to descriptive analysis and interpreted in light of aging theories. The findings suggest that continuity and activity theories were particularly functional in understanding and explaining the experiences of aging among the participants in the study.

 Old age is one of the social phenomena that most significantly affects todays societies, especially in economic, social, and political domains. World population statistics indicate that the phenomenon of aging will continue to gain importance for all societies in the near future. The increase in the elderly population, combined with declining birth rates, poses an existential threat to many societies. In the 21st century, as human life expectancy has nearly doubled compared to earlier periods, humanity is encountering a social phenomenon it had not previously experienced. While old age was once a rare experience attained by only a few, today it is perceived as a typical phase of human development, accessible to nearly everyone except in exceptional cases. However, how old age is positioned within the social value system and what kind of status is granted to elderly individuals vary across societies. This also influences the processes through which elderly people reconstruct their identities and adapt to new roles. Although affected by social values, expectations of status, and roles, aging remains a personal and unique experience. The theoretical approaches proposed to understand and explain old age are relatively new and tend to objectify the experience. In some cases, aging becomes too complex to be fully grasped through the aging theories available in the literature. Moreover, such theories reflect the intellectual climate of their respective eras. In this context, the present study problematizes the relationship between theoretical approaches to aging and the individual experiences of growing old. For this purpose, in-depth interviews were conducted with 28 elderly individuals living in the provinces of Uşak and Manisa. These interviews aimed to understand how aging is experienced across different stages of life. The data collected were subjected to descriptive analysis and interpreted in light of aging theories. The findings suggest that continuity and activity theories were particularly functional in understanding and explaining the experiences of aging among the participants in the study.

 Old age is one of the social phenomena that most significantly affects todays societies, especially in economic, social, and political domains. World population statistics indicate that the phenomenon of aging will continue to gain importance for all societies in the near future. The increase in the elderly population, combined with declining birth rates, poses an existential threat to many societies. In the 21st century, as human life expectancy has nearly doubled compared to earlier periods, humanity is encountering a social phenomenon it had not previously experienced. While old age was once a rare experience attained by only a few, today it is perceived as a typical phase of human development, accessible to nearly everyone except in exceptional cases. However, how old age is positioned within the social value system and what kind of status is granted to elderly individuals vary across societies. This also influences the processes through which elderly people reconstruct their identities and adapt to new roles. Although affected by social values, expectations of status, and roles, aging remains a personal and unique experience. The theoretical approaches proposed to understand and explain old age are relatively new and tend to objectify the experience. In some cases, aging becomes too complex to be fully grasped through the aging theories available in the literature. Moreover, such theories reflect the intellectual climate of their respective eras. In this context, the present study problematizes the relationship between theoretical approaches to aging and the individual experiences of growing old. For this purpose, in-depth interviews were conducted with 28 elderly individuals living in the provinces of Uşak and Manisa. These interviews aimed to understand how aging is experienced across different stages of life. The data collected were subjected to descriptive analysis and interpreted in light of aging theories. The findings suggest that continuity and activity theories were particularly functional in understanding and explaining the experiences of aging among the participants in the study.

 Yaşlılık, günümüz toplumlarını başta ekonomik, sosyal ve politik alanlar olmak üzere en çok etkileyen sosyal olgulardan biridir. Dünya nüfus istatistikleri, yaşlılık olgusunun yakın gelecekte önemini arttırarak koruyacağını göstermektedir. Yaşlı nüfusun artması ve doğum oranlarının düşmesi, birçok toplum için varoluşsal bir tehdit oluşturmaktadır. İnsan ömrünün 21. yüzyılda önceki dönemlere göre neredeyse iki kat uzamasıyla insanlık, geçmişte olmayan bir toplumsal olguyu deneyimlemektedir. Yaşlılık, geçmişte özel insanların yaşayabileceği bir deneyimken günümüzde istisnalar dışında herkesin ulaşabileceği bir gelişim dönemi olarak algılanmaktadır. Ancak yaşlılık olgusunun sosyal değerler sisteminde nasıl yer alacağı ve yaşlılara nasıl bir statü sağlanacağı toplumlara göre değişmektedir. Bu durum, yaşlı bireylerin kimliklerini yeniden inşa etme ve yeni rollere uyum sağlama süreçlerini etkilemektedir. Her ne kadar toplumsal değer, statü ve rol beklentilerinden etkilense de yaşlılık bireysel ve özgün bir deneyimdir. Yaşlılığı anlamaya yönelik kuramsal yaklaşımlar hem yenidir hem de yaşlılığı nesnelleştirmektedir. Bazı durumlarda bireye özgü yaşlılık deneyimi, kuramlarla anlaşılamayacak kadar karmaşıktır. Ayrıca bu kuramlar, kendi dönemlerinin düşünsel iklimini de yansıtır. Bu çalışma, yaşlılık kuramları ile bireysel yaşlılık deneyimleri arasındaki ilişkiyi sorunsallaştırmaktadır. Bu amaçla Uşak ve Manisa illerinde yaşayan 28 yaşlıyla derinlemesine mülakatlar yapılmış; yaşlıların tüm yaşamlarıyla birlikte yaşlılığı nasıl deneyimledikleri anlaşılmaya çalışılmıştır. Veriler betimsel analizle değerlendirilmiş, yaşlılık sürecini anlamada süreklilik ve aktivite kuramlarının işlevsel olduğu sonucuna varılmıştır.

Makale detayları

A Study on the Life Experiences of the Elderly in the Context of Aging Theories

Yazarlar:

Muhammet Ali Köroğlu

Yayıncı:

Gumushane University

Ana Başlıklar:

Yaşlılık Sosyolojisi

Dergi:

Mavi Atlas Vol.13 Issue 1, pp.99-126

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

4/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001346383

pISSN:

2148-5232

Old age

theory

active ageing

successful ageingYaşlılık

kuram

aktif yaşlanma

başarılı yaşlanma

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Muhammet Ali Köroğlu

Yayıncı: Gumushane University

Ana Başlıklar: Yaşlılık Sosyolojisi

Dergi: Mavi Atlas Vol.13 Issue 1, pp.99-126

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 4/2025

Belge Dili: Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.): 2001346383

pISSN: 2148-5232

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Muhammet Ali Köroğlu

Yayıncı:

Gumushane University

Ana Başlıklar:

Yaşlılık Sosyolojisi

Dergi:

Mavi Atlas Vol.13 Issue 1, pp.99-126

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

4/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001346383

pISSN:

2148-5232