Conceptual structure of aging in different ethnicities

OBJECTIVE  To develop a conceptual framework that explains how elderly people from different cultures experience aging, formulate concepts and assign values to the process of aging.

METHOD  Qualitative research conducted with 33 elderly people in a municipality of the triple border. The data were collected between February and August of 2011, using Symbolic Interactionism and the Grounded Theory as the theoretical and methodological strategy.

RESULTS  The central theme identified was: “Having to age: sociocultural practices guiding aging in different ethnicities”, which was made up of sub processes that characterize the study’s structural concepts: aging conceived as multifactorial (physical, biopsychic and sociocultural); Experiencing aging in the process of cultural adaptation; Experiencing aging as the continuation of life; Redefining social roles; and The culture influencing habits and customs in healthcare.

CONCLUSION  The experience of aging proved to be a unique process for each individual and the values assigned to it are influenced by one’s own culture.

Keywords:
Aged; Aging; Culture; Nursing