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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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Cross-cultural gerontology research methods
— challenges and solutions | | Author(s) | Iris Chi |
| Journal title | Ageing and Society, vol 31, part 3, April 2011 |
| Pages | pp 371-385 |
| Source | http://www.journals.cambridge.org/aso |
| Keywords | Ageing process ; Research ; Methodology ; Cross national surveys ; Cross cultural surveys. |
| Annotation | Second of four articles that together make up a special issue on research methodology and ageing. This article reviews the historical development and modern state of cross-cultural research in gerontology. Cross-cultural research in gerontology is important because the social processes of ageing vary. It aims to distinguish universal from culturally-specific processes and determine how cultural factors influence individual and population ageing. In doing so, it has to overcome many challenges such as how to design an equivalent and unbiased study, how to access different cultures, and how to ensure that questions are meaningful for different cultures. Appropriate strategies include using an international multicultural research team, becoming familiar with the local culture, maintaining good relationships with community leaders, studying only those aspects of behaviour that are functionally equivalent, using appropriate measures, and encouraging equal partnership and open communication among colleagues. To highlight the complexity of cross-cultural research and lessons learnt from such research experience, the article describes an example study of long-term care that involved researchers from more than 30 countries. (JL). |
| Accession Number | CPA-110505003 A |
| Classmark | BG: 3A: 3D: 3K: 3KA |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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