Attitudes Toward Aging and the Aged: Primitive-Societies

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Abstract
In primitive societies the average length of life is short, most people die in youth or in middle age; relatively few ever reach old age. Therefore, there are fewer old people and those who do manage to survive the rigors of primitive life generally seem to remain more vigorous than old people in modern society, and often considerable distinction comes to them. Important means of security for old people are their active association with others and assistance in their interests and enterprises. They are regarded as repositories of knowledge, imparters of valuable information, and mediators between their fellows and the fearful supernatural powers. With far less knowledge of biological and medical aspects of aging, they entertain many mythical accounts of unnatural occurrence of old age and death, of exceptional persons able to avoid both of these misfortunes, and of endeavors to find secret remedies for rejuvenation and longevity. Interestingly enough, the proportion of the old who remain active, productive, and essential in primitive societies is much higher than in advanced civilization, for they succeed to an amazing degree in providing cultural conditions which utilize the services of their few old people, thereby giving the old person a greater chance to be regarded as a treasured asset.

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