Which place has more of a culture of honor for respecting elders, Japan or the American South? (2013)
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The American South is strongly known for its culture of honor, sit up straight and respect your elders. Call people sir and ma'am and be polite to older family members. Kids must respect their parents or else get a spanking!
These stereotypes are also associated with Japan. However, I have actually heard that Japan has loosened a lot of its old honor culture more recently, more people sending their parents to nursing homes and people are toying with robots/machines to help/serve the elderly rather than people, so that shows that human relationships ain't what they used to be. Still, Japan is strongly known for respect for elders/seniority. Even corporate people are said to defer to the opinions of those with seniority out of respect for age.
Of these two regions, who do you think has preserved a stronger respect for the elderly?
I've never associated the South with respect for elderly, or of a greater degree than any other part of the US. Everyone seems to call each other by 'ma'am and sir over there.
I've never associated the South with respect for elderly, or of a greater degree than any other part of the US. Everyone seems to call each other by 'ma'am and sir over there.
Well, I was in part also thinking of stronger family ties, more close knit relatives, the whole "family values", including more strong values on tradition, compared to most Americans, or at least the typical portrayal is.
Well, I was in part also thinking of stronger family ties, more close knit relatives, the whole "family values", including more strong values on tradition, compared to most Americans, or at least the typical portrayal is.
I think in the US there are tight families and no-so-tight families and they are both everywhere. I don't see any culture of revering the elders much anywhere in the US. Much stronger and more pervasive part of Asian culture.
Traditionally all cultures revere their elderly. This is because, in pre-industrial societies, to make it to old age was a rare blessing. In the West, we have had longer life expectancy than the rest of the world for many centuries now. Japan had a life expectancy of less than 45 years until the 1940s. Old people were revered only because they were rare. Same with China and all other parts of the world.
Old people are only less respected in the West today because there is nothing special about them. They are just a natural part of life. We will all get old someday, just as our grandparents and their grandparents did. Not the case so much in Asia until the last 60 years.
Respect for the elderly in Japan is now greatly decreasing as the old are now the largest segment of society. Just like in the West, old people are just another part of life in that country. Nothing special about them.
I always thought respecting your elders was kinda a stupid idea. I mean why does someone deserve more respect just because they've lived a little longer? Compared to the age of earth or the universe we are all young.
I always thought respecting your elders was kinda a stupid idea. I mean why does someone deserve more respect just because they've lived a little longer? Compared to the age of earth or the universe we are all young.
We respect our elders because...
They raise us since the day we were born no matter what
They paid for our education and thus provided us the opportunities for social mobility and career prospects.
They provide us with shelter, guidance and warmth while we were still young, impressionable and vulnerable
In a nutshell, we would not get to where we are today without our elders. So we have a moral responsibility to respect and take care of them.
Traditionally all cultures revere their elderly. This is because, in pre-industrial societies, to make it to old age was a rare blessing. In the West, we have had longer life expectancy than the rest of the world for many centuries now. Japan had a life expectancy of less than 45 years until the 1940s. Old people were revered only because they were rare. Same with China and all other parts of the world.
Old people are only less respected in the West today because there is nothing special about them. They are just a natural part of life. We will all get old someday, just as our grandparents and their grandparents did. Not the case so much in Asia until the last 60 years.
Respect for the elderly in Japan is now greatly decreasing as the old are now the largest segment of society. Just like in the West, old people are just another part of life in that country. Nothing special about them.
It is a sad consequence of a rapidly aging population, and it's overwhelming impact on Japan's social and economic system.
While visiting Osaka a couple of years ago I was disturbed at the number of homeless elderly I saw in the local park, some sleeping and others scavenging in trash bins for recyclables. They did not appear to be mentally ill nor drug addicts, but instead could have been anyone's grandparents. As Japan's population continues to age, this problem will only worsen. One has to ask: where are their children, and where are the traditional social support networks?
Ironically, my visit coincided with the Respect the Aged Day holiday celebrated throughout Japan.
They raise us since the day we were born no matter what
They paid for our education and thus provided us the opportunities for social mobility and career prospects.
They provide us with shelter, guidance and warmth while we were still young, impressionable and vulnerable
In a nutshell, we would not get to where we are today without our elders. So we have a moral responsibility to respect and take care of them.
It is amazing to me that someone would not respect elders and feel that they are not important in our society.
I feel that I have a special bond with my grandparents that is incomparable to other relationships, such as the one held with my parents or friends. I cherish their wisdom. I respect that they worked so hard to raise a large highly succesful family with very little money, and then still found time and patience to help raise their grandchildren. They were always there for us with money, support and love.
In Mexican culture, grandparents are very important. We do not abandon our elders in nursing homes unless absolutely necessary. My grandfather had a stroke, and we reluctantly put him in a nursing home. We set up a schedule to ensure that at least 1 person visited him per day to ensure he was well taken care of. This lasted for 3 years. I would see many abandoned elderly people there who were rarely visited and it just broke my heart. The nurses were always very impressed with our dedication to our grandfather.
Unfortunately I have heard that this is also changing in Mexican society as in Japanese society. This is so sad and unacceptable.
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