In some cultures old people are valued more, while in other cultures youth is considered more valuable. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Ageing is the process of becoming older. In humans, ageing represents physical, psychological and social changes. In few cultures the golden-agers are considered to be more worthy, whereas some societies pay more emphasis to their young generation. This essay will discuss both the above given views and will provide a logical conclusion in the end.
On the one hand, there are cultures that have historically respected the elderly as a matter of culture. In many Asian countries like China, Korea and India elders are highly respected. Younger members of the family have a duty to take care of the ageing members of the family. And even outside the family unit, many Asian societies are socialized to respect and show deference to older individuals. It’s common for the elders to be expected to pass down their learnings to younger members of the family. These cultures follow the principle of filial piety- duty of a child towards its parents. Moreover, placing parents in retirement homes will see one labeled as uncaring or a bad son in Indian culture. To abandon one’s family is considered deeply dishonorable. Many Indians live in joint family units, with the elders acting as the head of the household and they play a key role in raising their grandchildren. Advice is always sought from them on a range of issues, from investment of family money to traditional wedding rituals and family conflicts.
On the other hand, in Western cultures, youth is fetishized and the elderly are commonly removed from the community and relegated to hospitals and nursing homes because of which aging can become a shameful experience. Young generation is innovative, brimming with new ideas, innovation and hence can help an economy to grow in comparison to the old people, also the youngsters being the workforce are the major contributors in taxes. Physical signs of human aging tend to be regarded with distaste, and aging is often depicted in a negative light in popular culture. Furthermore, people themselves when they’re aging feel that there’s something wrong with them and they’re losing value. Western countries except for some like Sweden, Norway and German who are ranked on the top for working for the welfare of their senior citizens, tend to regard the greying population as a burden and the youngsters as the assets who contribute in boosting the economy of the country.
To sum up, I ardently believe that some countries despite having a higher GDP and per capita yet underperform in assisting their elderly because these countries are plagued by age discrimination, such as Russia and the U.S. Although youth is definitely the nation builder, one needs to have reverence and respect in their hearts for the seniors as there is a famous saying “As you sow, so shall you reap”. It indeed is true.
