3. Cultural Differences towards Elders

          Having talked about the my observations on the attitudes of the young towards the elder, I would like to shed some light on the differences in both cultures concerning this topic. Culturally speaking, there is a great deal of difference towards the elder in my society and in the American society.

           One major difference is about how to treat the elder. In my society, everyone feels obliged, religiously and socially, to provide the utmost help he\she can offer to the elder. We identify treating the elder to be serving them and let them do any thing as much as possible. With this definition, we admit their favors of helping us when we needed help as children. The elder, on the other hand, expect such a help since they have sacrificed a lot. In terms of family, everyone should take care of his\her father and mother. Parents must not kept in any place other than within the family. It would be so shocking if someone leaves any of his parents for any other agency, whether governmental or private. It is seen as being loyal to those who have been doing you favors all the time.

           On the contrary, the elder in United States, as I see it, are more self-reliant than in my country. They are proud of themselves; and they would refuse someone to help. In one of my visits to an H.E.B. Store, I saw a father with impaired mobility along with his son. When the father was descending from the car and getting on his wheelchair, he missed it and fell to the ground. His son came at the same moment to help, but the father refused that help. He took the wheelchair again, and got on it. Then they went into the store. The point that I want to emphasize is that the father depends on himself and refuses any kind of help. In terms of family, parents have been useful all the time; and they cannot imagine being so idle and useless.