Abstract Book of the 2nd Global Conference on Aging and Gerontology
Year: 2025
DOI:
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Javanese Older Adult’s Perspectives of Successful Ageing in Urban and Rural Yogyakarta (Indonesia)
Satih Saidiyah, Claire Thompson, Talitha Best & Tessa Benveniste
ABSTRACT:
The study aimed to explore the experiences of older Javanese-Indonesian individuals to formulate a culturally specific Javanese concept of successful aging. As the global elderly population expands, research has predominantly focused on successful aging within Western societies. This study utilised qualitative methods and interviewed twelve adults to comprehensively understand the lived experiences and perspectives of older Javanese individuals. Participants (six males and six females, aged 70 -83 years) were recruited from urban and rural communities in Yogyakarta, Central Java. In-depth semi-structured interviews and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis were used to explore the participants’ understanding of successful aging in urban versus traditional rural settings. The results of thematic analysis revealed similarities and distinctions between urban and rural communities in prioritising family, individual accomplishments and religious devotion in successful ageing. In urban Java, successful aging is associated with maintaining physical health, peace of mind, religious devotion, nurturing family and personal achievements. In rural Java, prioritising maintaining physical health and peace of mind is the same; however, the order of nurturing family and individual accomplishments and religious devotion is different from urban adults. Establishing and building social connections was similar in both settings. By understanding the context and conceptual differences in successful aging, these findings provide straightforward theoretical and practical applications for supporting well-being in older adults.
keywords: successful ageing, culture, older adults’ Javanese, urban, rural, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis