Why do many Westerners do not respect the elderly?

[Tim]

This is a re-posting to clarify. By "Westerners" I refer to North and South Americans and Europeans. Thanks for your answers!

[power]

By asking this question it shows that this is really something you are conscious of & I honestly do not see these. So I would have to disagree with you. I don't really see elderly. I am in my 50's & my husband is in his 60's & we have friends who are older but don't seem elderly to us. They are healthy, happy, wise, vital & well respected.

I know people don't often want honestly when they are asking a question here but I am going to be honest. If you are seeing this you would be better off not putting more energy into it & looking for the respect that is taking place. We can choose. We have free will. So heaven or hell or hatred/fear or choosing love & peace are really up to us.

[nora]

old people are a burden and not productive unless they have money nobody cares or wants them around

[Spanky]

Eastern cultures are more family-centric. I would guess that through the industrialization and focus on busy-ness and getting ahead, the family structure in the West has disintegrated in the last few generations. When i see new immigrants in the USA, the family structure is still tight - they save $$ to bring the next family member over & often live together until they get set up and on their own... it seems as the generations proceed, they have their own families and that becomes important but there is a disintegration of the thread, which includes not respecting the elderly who had sacrificed for them..

And so, i have moved from West to East, not because of this, but it seems to "color" the world that i am in - kinder, more caring and a very strong family circle..

[melissa]

It depends on the culture. That's are very broad area. Not everyone in the West disrespects the elderly, I would step back from that stereotype and understand you cant lump over a billion people into the same social stigma. I'll speak from my point of view in the specific region I live in. People that are church going and have morals in my region tend to be respectful of the elderly, that's my experience. In my church we give the elderly the best seats, listen to their knowledgeable stories, and hold them in high regard. My family, which is black but of Irish decent, holds the elders of the family in the highest regard, they are who we go to for advice, who we take care of. I was brought up to believe I need to get my doctorate and be financially well off enough to take care of my mother forever. My paternal grand parents are completely self sufficient, (my maternal grandparents are deceased) and they are the epicenter of our family's bond. I do see youth disrespect elderly though, and I think the media has s lot to do with it. Western media encourages our youth to be disrespectful and apathetic to everyone, not just the elderly. This only I'd what I'm aware of in southern US culture. Also, our country does have special benefits just for the elderly, such as Medicare, a medical insurance the government mandated for elderly, that taxpayers pay for, and social security, monetary support mandated by the government for the elderly. The media potrayal of youth disregarding their duty to the elderly is not exclusive to the West, you'll find the same changes occurring in the media in India and Japan. Vastly the whole worlds society is taking s turn for the worst.
Edit: since my family is mainly European immigrants, I think thst has a huge impact on how cloe knit our family is.

[Bert Weidemeier]

Unless you have money, no one wants you, they all feel you are a burden.

[Quietbreakfast705]

I am European.

The elderly tend to have an annoying habit of blocking off the isles in supermarkets and even if you scream, shout and throw boulders at them they still don't notice that you are trying to get past them.

Hope that helps.

[pansyblue]

IMHO every culture, like every personality trait, or every country, has pros and cons. Good and bad. One of the bad, 'missing' things from the 'western culture' is respect for elders. Evey culture has some strengths, and some weaknesses. That's kiind of why it's so great when they can be combined.
I know a home where latin and western cultures are combined. The elderly are cared for and kept in the home. The food is wonderful. But education is valued and adults are going back to school. And the materialism of the western culture is balanced by the careful scotch of the latin culture.