Senioři v České republice. Mýty a jejich dekonstrukce
Seniors in the Czech Republic. Myths and Their Deconstruction

Summary/Abstract: Seniors in the Czech Republic. Myths and Their Deconstruction. The framework of this thesis is constructed upon the processes of the demographic aging, respectively current and future potential increase in the proportion of the seniors in Czech (as well as Slovak) population. The author points out the widespread tendency to describe the implications of the above phenomena in terms of crisis and labelling the seniors as social problem. This tendency is often strengthened by the negative stereotypes and myths about the old people that prevail in the society and in the end by itself contribute to their conservation. The article reviews and confronts the unfavourable socially constructed image of old age with the findings of the research Seniors in Society: Strategies of Maintaining Individual Autonomy. The survey was based on qualitative content analysis of the semi-structured interviews with the old people. The senior’s self-reflections and their own perception of aging reflected relatively positive interpretation of the problematic of health and referred to high effort to actively and independently cope with and bear up the health problems, possible difficulties arising from the every day life or the poorer financial situation. The findings also disclosed the accent the interviewees put upon their own independence, personal responsibility, the ability to be able to help out and be useful to the others as well as the emphasis they put on demands of recognition and appreciation of their integral competence. On the other hand the seniors proved to refuse the non-requested and excess assistance. The conclusions of the survey infirm the generally held and accepted notion of seniors as passive, not self-sufficient, permanently complaining individuals that selfishly pursue their own interests, often at the expense of the younger generations, and/or that delegate the responsibility for the quality of life in old age on to the state, professionals or family. The author also presents the strategies used by the seniors to cope with and manage their everyday life´ tasks including the problems associated with ageism.

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