Instead of a Discussion Board in BbLearn this is to be a guided reflection/reaction paper. The following
questions serve as directions for your personal reflections of Pipher’s book. Your responses are to be
written separate from this assignment sheet.
- “Soon our country will be avalanched by old people and those people will be us. In a few decades our
solutions to the dilemmas of caring for our elders will be applied to our own lives. The kindness, the
indifference, and the wisdom will be passed on. The more we love and respect our elders the more we
teach our own children to love and respect us†p. 17
a. What are we doing today with issues of caring for the elderly?
b. What might we want to change in our society, and in our won interactions with the elderly? - The old are not only segregated physically but also by worldview and tempo of life. What does this mean
in our individualistic and “do it faster†society? - We can learn a great deal from the old. They can teach us about the importance of time, relationships,
and gratitude. They can teach us how to endure and how to be patient. They can help us put our own pains
and problems into perspective†p. 38
a. What have you learned from the people in Pipher’s book?
b. Apply this to the elderly you know too- what have you learned from them? - “In our culture the old are held to an odd standard. They are admired for not being a bother, for being
chronically cheerful. They are expected to be interested in others, bland in their opinions, optimistic, and
emotionally generous. But the young certainly don’t hold themselves to these standards†p.50
a. Do you agree with the above statement? Why or why not?
b. Do you feel held to this standard in your social lives? How do you think your generation is viewed by both
older and younger generations? - Pipher states we have moved from a communal to an individualistic culture and this is causing difficulty in
understanding between generations.
a. What are some of the key differences Pipher identifies?
b. How has child rearing changed?
c. How have our expectations for community, marriage, and family changed as a result of this more
individualistic culture? - Pipher makes some strong statements about how psychology divides the generations. Older Americans
are less likely to talk about pain, trauma, and complaints. They have much more concern with stigma when
seeking psychological help.
a. What can generations share with each other to enrich BOTH generations?
b. How could you work with an elderly person with depression who might be reluctant to speak with a
mental health professional? - Which individuals “stood out the most for you in the Pipher book? Were any of them a blueprint for an
“indeal self†in later life? Were any of them a blueprint for a “feared self†in later life? Why? - How did you view the multigenerational facility of “Shady Lane†at the end of the book? Is this a viable
type of connection or are families and children simply too mobile in today’s world to enjoy this kind of
connection? - The 5 “R†Theory has a place in our consideration of healthy adulthood and aging. Reflect on where you
find each of those 5 pieces right now. Contrast that with what you think might be the sources for the 5 r
pieces 20 years from now. Does this make you think that one set “looks better†than the other? Suppose
you are concerned about where you could get one of those 5 r pieces 20 years from now. What changes
Sample Solution