Transfigurations of aging
To date, most social anthropological studies on aging in African contexts focus on care for poor older people provided by related others. The focus of this article is different as it focuses on older people with better financial means than the average: civil servants belonging to Dar es Salaam’s mid...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Edinburgh Library
2020-04-01
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| Series: | Medicine Anthropology Theory |
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| Online Access: | http://www.medanthrotheory.org/article/view/4992 |
| _version_ | 1830189763697573888 |
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| author | Andrea Kaiser-Grolimund |
| author_facet | Andrea Kaiser-Grolimund |
| author_sort | Andrea Kaiser-Grolimund |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | To date, most social anthropological studies on aging in African contexts focus on care for poor older people provided by related others. The focus of this article is different as it focuses on older people with better financial means than the average: civil servants belonging to Dar es Salaam’s middle class. Furthermore, this contribution shifts the focus from care provided through related others to practices of everyday self-care, the care that these older people provide for themselves with the help of relatives in Tanzania and the USA. In order to stay healthy and cope with diagnosed chronic conditions, older participants in this study engage in physical exercises, eat ‘good food’, and go for regular medical check-ups. This article argues that these health-promoting self-care practices of older urban dwellers reflect changing experiences of aging, health, and care, and point to transfigurations of the social imaginary of aging in Dar es Salaam’s middle class. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T23:10:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2f1a2c5c34e347dfbdb47f4082a0a394 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2405-691X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T23:10:04Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
| publisher | University of Edinburgh Library |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Medicine Anthropology Theory |
| spelling | doaj.art-2f1a2c5c34e347dfbdb47f4082a0a3942022-12-21T21:29:10ZengUniversity of Edinburgh LibraryMedicine Anthropology Theory2405-691X2020-04-017110.17157/mat.7.1.6494992Transfigurations of agingAndrea Kaiser-GrolimundTo date, most social anthropological studies on aging in African contexts focus on care for poor older people provided by related others. The focus of this article is different as it focuses on older people with better financial means than the average: civil servants belonging to Dar es Salaam’s middle class. Furthermore, this contribution shifts the focus from care provided through related others to practices of everyday self-care, the care that these older people provide for themselves with the help of relatives in Tanzania and the USA. In order to stay healthy and cope with diagnosed chronic conditions, older participants in this study engage in physical exercises, eat ‘good food’, and go for regular medical check-ups. This article argues that these health-promoting self-care practices of older urban dwellers reflect changing experiences of aging, health, and care, and point to transfigurations of the social imaginary of aging in Dar es Salaam’s middle class.http://www.medanthrotheory.org/article/view/4992agingmiddle classself-carechronic illnesstanzania |
| spellingShingle | Andrea Kaiser-Grolimund Transfigurations of aging Medicine Anthropology Theory aging middle class self-care chronic illness tanzania |
| title | Transfigurations of aging |
| title_full | Transfigurations of aging |
| title_fullStr | Transfigurations of aging |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transfigurations of aging |
| title_short | Transfigurations of aging |
| title_sort | transfigurations of aging |
| topic | aging middle class self-care chronic illness tanzania |
| url | http://www.medanthrotheory.org/article/view/4992 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT andreakaisergrolimund transfigurationsofaging |