Rozin, V. M. The Culture of Childhood and Old Age: Development and Completion of an Individual Life

Abstract: The author of the present research article raises the issues that make us take another look at childhood and old age as the frames (development and completion) of human’s individual life. The author views phylogenic parallels to the child development and introduces the concept of human cultures, the latter being described in terms of peculiarities of life activities and views (consciousness) as well as the nature of socialization processes. Childhood is not only an independent culture of life but also the beginning of a difficult transition from one life to another (from the ‘pram’ to personality). Childhood provides the two methods of the world development – play and first social contacts with significant others. A child understands the adult world through play and thinks according to particular patterns. The meaning of a so-called childhood crisis so many people are talking about now is in the crisis of our adult life. Old age develops as a culture of life only if the society admits singularity of life of elderly people and creates special conditions for their life. The other condition is the efforts and work put forth by elderly people and old people towards developing their own concept of old age and putting that concept into life. The third condition for developing the concept of old age in culture (literature, music, science and etc.) is the creation of so called ‘semiotics of old age’. The author views different concepts of old age and analyzes a very important element of these concepts, institutionalization of the meaning of life in the culture of old age. The main research methods used by the author included comparative analysis, methodological problematisation, cultural and historical reenactment and case analysis. General methodology included the philosophical interpretation based on humanitarian and cultural approaches. Based on the results of the analysis carried out, the author offered the definition of the term ‘culture of childhood and culture of old age’ and described the conditions of their formation, peculiarities and essence of each culture, issues related to these cultures and the main solutions of these issues. Generally speaking, the author offers a new philosophical concept of childhood and old age.

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