Social representations of older adults [magget] in Dakar

ABSTRACT The objectives of this study in Dakar were twofold: to determine whether the representations of older adults are mainly positive, neutral or negative in the Senegalese capital; and to analyse the emic notions on which these age representations are based. As a first step in understanding how older adults are represented in this contemporary urban African context, a methodology was selected that is both quantitative and qualitative, including closed and open-ended questions to a representative cross-section of the Dakar population aged 20 years and over (N=600). The results indicate that representations of older adults, while heterogeneous, were mainly positive in Dakar: 63.7 per cent reported positive representations of older adults. Conversely, 17.5 per cent believed that older adults were perceived negatively. Lastly, 18.8 per cent reported that they did not perceive positive or negative social views of older adults. Representations of older adults were based on three principal notions: the value of advanced age, social usefulness of older adults and family ties. These results are discussed in the context of Dakar modernity, in comparison to Western modernity. Dakar society appears to depart from modernisation theory, as the experiential wisdom of older adults is still valued (mainly through the importance of oral tradition) and the extended family is upheld (given the permanent economic crisis the country is experiencing).