ELDERLY EXPERIENCE AMONG THE CHAMORROS OF GUAM.
Contributors: University of Oklahoma.
Published: 1996
Number of pages: 504
Subjects: Anthropology, Cultural.; Health Sciences, Nursing.; Gerontology.
Description: The Elderly Experience among the Chamorros of Guam focuses on the historical impact of sociocultural and politico-economic changes on traditional life, perceptions, and health among the elderly Chamorros, the indigenous peoples of Guam. Historical, life course, and politico-economic perspectives are used in a multidimensional approach in order to synthesize Chamorro cultural traditions with the "Americanized" social, political, and economic structures of their life experiences. Through intensive, ethnographic research the elderly Chamorros are included in the decision-making process used to develop program and policy recommendations addressed to the elderly in their society.

What becomes obvious is that the Chamorros differ from the "average" American, historically, economically, and culturally. While sharing some universal characteristics with other elders, Chamorros have perspectives and problems which are unique to their island world. Qualitative data obtained through interviews with sixty elders and participant observation provided insight into the elder Chamorros' views about old age and about their significant factors/problems. Cultural factors connected with their positive orientation to old age include a familistic value system and historical veneration of elders. The efforts to forge a new "Chamorro Way" for elders in response to the current sociocultural and politico-economic structures were discussed.

Demographic analysis allowed presentation of the population trends affecting the elder Chamorros. The integration of population-level data with information gained on the personal and behavioral levels provided a holistic understanding of the experiences of the elderly Chamorros.

The author discusses the concepts and theoretical orientations important to the anthropological analysis of the impact of cultural changes upon the elder Chamorros and their perception of old age in their social system. The nature and significance of continuity is discussed in connection with its importance to the elderly. The use of continuity theory in conjunction with life course and historical perspectives is proposed.

This research furnishes anthropology and gerontology not only with descriptive data about the lifeways and views of the Chamorros of Guam, but also has practical implications for service delivery and policy formation. This research also adds to the ethnographic record on aging in a Micronesian culture, contributing to cross-cultural inquiry.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 57-03, Section: A, page: 1204.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA, 1996.

School code: 0169.