Influenced by Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, countries such as Japan, China, Korea and Vietnam all value to wisdom imparted by elders and treat them with a high degree of respect.
While many cultures celebrate the aging process and venerate their elders, in Western cultures -- where youth is fetishized and the elderly are commonly removed from the community and relegated to hospitals and nursing homes -- aging can become a shameful experience.
Three of the best countries in the Longevity Management Scorecard are led by women - Finland, Denmark and New Zealand. As women make up fewer than 10% of world leaders, it may be significant that more age-ready countries are also more gender progressive.
Western and eastern conceptions of age
Confucian values promote a positive view of aging, which encourages younger generations to treat older adults with respect, obedience, and care. Western cultures tend to have more youth-centered societies that place value in young adults rather than older adults.
The report by France's National Ethics Committee (CCNE) reveals that reaching old age in France often means being sidelined by society, receiving inadequate care and the suffering of both you and your carers.
The least age bias in the world can be found in: Japan, China, Korea, India, and Brazil. Culturally, these countries tend to focus on harmony and the collective good, and also maintain a strong respect for elders.
Key issues for older Australians
The most common types of discrimination include being turned down for a job, being ignored or treated rudely and having disparaging jokes made about their age.
Older people are respected for their wisdom and most important decisions have traditionally not been made without consulting them. Confucian filial piety encourages the younger generation to follow the teachings of elders and for elders to teach the young their duties and manners. The elderly enjoy high status.
Peoples of East Asia—Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, and others-have long-established cultural approaches to showing respect to elders.
According to the 2016 Census, most older Australians lived in private dwellings: 99% of people aged 65–74 years. 75% of those aged 85 and over (see Figure 7.3).
Successful aging requires a lot of different factors, and Norway seems to do well on all of them. For example, older Norwegians have high-income security through a generous universal pension system. They also benefit from a health care system that supports all Norwegians from the time they are born.
All across Japan, many events are held in honor of older adults, and many give gifts or show their gratitude to the elderly in the family. Surprisingly, there are no universal customs or traditions. Each person freely expresses his/her appreciationto the older adults.
When speaking with elders, they usually bow as a sign of respect. They are many social hierarchies in the Japanese culture are respected and as one moves up the ladder, they get to speak less and less formally and access more and more respect and politeness in the ways that others that to them.
Reassuringly, elderly care in the UK is highly regulated, and care providers (whether residential, nursing homes, or care at home) are rigorously inspected to ensure clients are comfortable, safe, and healthy.
A distinct tradition in every Filipino family is to give respect to the elders. “Pagmamano” is a Filipino gesture often done by young people to the elders as a sign of respect. This is done by gently striking the elder's right hand to the young's forehead.
In Japan, the elderly are generally treated with the utmost respect. Many Japanese families have several generations living under one roof. This factor is believed to be one of the many reasons that in Japan, elderly people live longer than any other population.
In the traditional African society, older people were highly esteemed because of the important roles they played by helping to integrate the society, preserve its cultural values, transmit knowledge and skills, settle disputes and educate the young.
People living in Australia are exposed to higher levels of UV radiation, which is responsible for most age-associated cosmetic skin problems in fair-skinned people.
Older people are mostly seen as incompetent, hostile or a burden on others, according to a review of the evidence that found they are subject to a litany of damaging stereotypes.
India ranks high in a global list of countries most biased against the elderly, according to a report from the World Health Organization. (WHO). Ageism comprises thoughts, beliefs, and actions that perpetuate prejudice and stereotypes against individuals due to their age.
Angola and the Philippines both set the age of consent at 12, which is the lowest in the world.
The African country of Niger has the lowest median age in the world at just 14.8 years (14.5 years for males and 15.1 for females), but many of its neighbors, including Uganda, Angola, Chad, and Mali, are close behind.