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Publication Type honors thesis
School or College College of Social & Behavioral Science
Department Anthropology
Thesis Supervisor Charles C. Hughes
Honors Advisor/Mentor Per Hage
Creator Dodd, Lori Elizabeth
Title The old people know different: Navajo aging and aged in the context of change
Date 1995-08
Year graduated 1995
Description The physical, psychological, and social aspects of aging have been extensively researched in recent years. The shift from an agriculturally-based to an industrially-based economy (often called Westernization or Modernization) is generally thought to have negative consequences for the status and health of the aged. This change has not impacted cultures uniformly. The reasons for differential cultural responses to the process of Westernization as it relates to aging are unclear. This paper examines these issues as they relate to Navajo society over the past century. Ideology which holds reverence and respect for elders is prevalent. In reality, these values may not translate into every-day behavior which support elders. Economic pressures are ever-present. The Navajo economy has shifted from an agricultural economy to one dependent on the markets and wage labor. Further, U.S. Government programs, including the introduction of a new education system and health care services, have variably influenced the health and well-being of elders. Changes in economy have altered the family structure as young people move away from the reservation in search of employment. New values are taught in schools, isolating youth from elders. The full impact of these variables on health is undetermined. Isolation may prevent elders from having regular access to health services or to needed groceries. Many elders are secluded geographically and culturally from their own grandchildren because of changing values and economic pressures. Elders have their own explanation for the changing culture and expect these changes to accelerate.
Type Text
Publisher University of Utah
Subject Older Indians - Utah; Older Indians - Arizona; Navajo Indians - Utah; Navajo Indians - Arizona
Language eng
Rights Management (c) Lori Elizabeth Dodd
Format Medium application/pdf
ARK ark:/87278/s66b13f8
Setname ir_htca
ID 1307714
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s66b13f8

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Title Page 13
Setname ir_htca
ID 1307727
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s66b13f8/1307727