The elderly

Societal and familial treatment of the elderly also reflects the values of independence and individualism. Elderly people in the USA are financially independent from their families. Older people often seek their own friends rather than becoming emotionally depended on their children. Senior citizen centres provide a means for peer-group association within their age group. There are problems, however, with growing old in the USA. Indifference to the age and glorification of youth have left some old people alienated and alone.

It is a common practice for families to place their older relatives in nursing homes because of physical disabilities or illnesses. Yet, some families are realising that the care in many nursing homes is inadequate, and thus they are looking for better alternatives to nursing homes. Some middle-age children provide care for older relatives in their own homes, while others attempt to find nursing care for their parents’ own homes. The ideal situation is when parents can stay in their own homes even if they cannot care for themselves. If given a choice many older people would choose to live in retirement communities where they have the companionship of peers and many recreational and health services. The disadvantage of this type of living arrangement is that it results in a separation of the generations.

treatment to treat welfare to decrease senior means a peer to glorify alienated to nurse

Оношение Относиться Благосостояние Уменьшаться Старший Средства Сверстник Прославлять Отчужденный Лелеять

disability to emphasise an obligation inadequate to guide to affect retirement a community companionship

Неспособность Подчеркивать Обязательство Неадекватный Вести Затрагивать Отставка Сообщество Товарищеские отношения

Ex. 10. Answer the questions:

What American values affect the life of the elderly? How does it influence their life?

What is the common practice of treating the elderly? What are the options?

What decreases the dependence of the elderly on their children?

What problem does this common practice bring about?

What do we mean by separation of the generations?

What is the common practice of treating the elderly in this country?

Ex. 11. Read the text: working husbands and wives

In families the culture imposes set gender roles upon parents. Traditionally, the male was responsible for the financial support of the home and family members, and the female was responsible for emotional support, child raising and housekeeping. During the past two or three decades in the USA, gender roles have been redefined, with an increasing number of mother in the work force. A major reason for this change is the women’s movement, which has influenced society’s views of desirable educational goals and careers for women. In addition, because of financial necessity, it is often no longer possible for a family to live on one salary.

For many women, their work represents the need to contribute to the family income and not a means of attaining personal fulfilment. Other women want to pursue their professional interests in order to fulfil themselves and to contribute to the larger society.

In some cases, particularly among highly educated, there are “dual career couples” where both of the husband and wife work full-time in high-level professional jobs (e.g., lawyers, doctors, professors and managers). In these families, there is generally a more equitable sharing of family and home responsibilities than in the larger population.

Although they are not common, there are situations where both members of a couple cannot find employment in the same geographical location, and so one will move and commute back to the family on weekends. In a minority of cases, people have to fly great distances to maintain such “commuter marriages”.

set gender a male a female a decade to define (re-) desirable a goal

Набор Род Мужчина Женщина В десятилетие Определять (заново) Желательный Цель

to represent to attain fulfilment a burden a challenge equitable to commute

Представлять Достигать Выполнение Бремя Вызов Равноправный Переключать

Ex. 12. Answer the questions:

What are the traditional ‘gender roles’ in American families?

Why do wives prefer to find employment nowadays?

What are ‘dual career couples’?

What are ‘commuter marriages’? What are the advantages and disadvantages of these couples?

How do Belarusians handle these problems if they have them?

Ex. 13. Read the text: