Document Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

4-25-2025

Keywords

adulthood, art form, challenges, changes, definition of age, generational transfer, lower self-esteem, life review (reminiscence purpose mechanism), lifespan, loss of purpose, marginalized status, modern society, old age, older adults, paired life, perceived purpose, research, self-esteem, social status, storytelling, traditional societies, youth focus

Disciplines

Developmental Psychology

Abstract

In traditional societies, storytelling was an art used to help understand the meaning of life. Storytellers typically included older adults who had experienced challenges in their lives and were aiming to help the young learn from them. This tradition of storytelling not only facilitated the transmission of valuable information between generations, but it also improved the elderly’s social status. One of the many changes associated with modernized society has been placing a larger focus on youth, allowing the elderly to be marginalized within society. As a byproduct of the focus on youth in modern society, older adults have collectively experienced a loss of purpose, which leads to lower self-esteem. Life review serves as a mechanism through which older adults can maintain high levels of perceived purpose and self-esteem throughout old age.

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