Abstract
Building on the previous two chapters, I explore here the significance of the findings for eldercare practice, and how they have the potential to challenge spiritually diminishing cultures and practices if the epistemological value of older people’s perspectives were to be accorded more status. I suggest that they call for practitioners in the field of eldercare to pay attention to the spiritual dimension of people’s lives as something more than religious affiliation – rather, as relating more generally to what is meaningful in their lives, what aspirations they have for the future, how they maintain their self-esteem, and so on. Furthermore, by drawing on the insights produced by using PCS analysis as a sensitising framework that integrates, rather than polarises, structure and agency, the significance of appreciating differing conceptualisations of both ageing and reciprocity in different cultures can be demonstrated.
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Thompson, S. (2013). The Significance of the Findings for Eldercare Practice. In: Reciprocity and Dependency in Old Age. International Perspectives on Aging, vol 8. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6687-1_8
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