I never really thought about age being a part of culture. I have heard of hip-hop and pop culture and understand that most of the people you are appealed to it are younger but never really thought about age in terms of culture. Age really does affect how we act and changes as we grow older. This made me think about the section on cultural identity and how on page 20 the woman’s importance of cultural groups changed and age became more important.
I think if you really look at it this is the one cultural topic that allows you to behave certain ways. You are allowed to be fussy and cry when you are little but as you grow up more you are expected to stop behaving that way. If you are in you late teens/early twenties you are not really identified your job but once you reach your thirties your job has become a part of who you are. Once you have reached your old age it is almost ok if you are cranky. We are expected or allowed to behave different ways depending on what our age is but that is not considered ageism. This is not true for the other cultural factors.
2 comments:
I also did not think about age in the context you presented. As individuals we learn from our elders and each generation teaches us how to behave. Its almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy for behavior. Like you mentioned, when you get old you become cranky. Is this really how people feel or do we act this way because generations before us had and it is socially acceptable? I guess I will find out in my own time! However, I'm breaking the norm because I'm young and already cranky!
Also young and cranky here. After the reading on age, I just began to view age as a part of culture due to the common generational experiences. Whether someone was alive to witness the civil rights movement as a spectator watching the marches on television or as a participant makes a difference on who that person is. Similar thoughts can be applied to the technological revolution and globalization. We are old enough to be participants, think about the young people who are coming up who will take instant messaging, cell phones, and social networks entirely for granted. They aren't less refined than we are, they just have a different life experience through which to view all current events.
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