Perceptions of aging East and West: Soviet refugees see two worlds

Information from three-generation Soviet refugee families now settled in the West forms the basis of this comparison of aging in the USSR, Israel and the United States. Their perceptions and judgments of issues such as government policies, pensions, old age homes, family responsibilities and public and private attitudes toward the elderly reveal severe criticism of Soviet government programs and praise for Soviet family care and personal respect for the elderly. At the same time, the refugees view the situation in the West (i.e., in Israel and the United States) in reverse; that is, praise for government programs and severe criticism of personal and family attitudes and care. The effects of these perceptions on adjustment to a new cultural environment are explored.