ABSTRACT

Abuse of older people is a major challenge for people who are aging. Studies into older people’s perspectives on abuse focus mainly on developed countries, while the views of those in sub-Saharan Africa remain largely unheard in social research. To address this imbalance, we report a qualitative study using in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions to examine older people’s perceptions of abuse in Uganda. Thirty-three participants were selected from four districts of Uganda to reflect different locations, levels of development, cultures, and contexts. Behaviors considered abusive were categorized into five themes: economic abuse, harassment and violence, disrespect, neglect and abandonment, and discrimination. Results showed that participants largely viewed their abuse from a cultural perspective, contrary to the West’s perception based on a discourse of human rights. The findings show the need for a broader definition that includes the cultural dimensions of the abuse of older people in developing societies.

摘要

虐待老年人是老年人面临的主要挑战。对老年人对虐待的看法的研究主要集中在发达国家，而撒哈拉以南非洲人的观点在社会研究中基本上是闻所未闻的。为了解决这种不平衡问题，我们报告了一项定性研究，使用深入的半结构化访谈和焦点小组讨论来检验乌干达老年人对虐待的看法。从乌干达的四个地区选出了 33 名参与者，以反映不同的地点、发展水平、文化和背景。被视为虐待的行为分为五个主题：经济虐待、骚扰和暴力、不尊重、忽视和遗弃以及歧视。结果表明，参与者主要从文化角度看待他们的虐待行为，与西方基于人权话语的看法相反。调查结果表明，需要一个更广泛的定义，其中包括发展中社会虐待老年人的文化层面。