Response 1: Sociocultural Differences in Perspectives on Aging · Respond to at least two colleagues who addressed cultures that are different from the ones you addressed. · Share an insight from reading your colleagues' postings. · Describe how you might incorporate the cultural perspectives on aging described by your colleagues into your own social work practice. Be sure to support your responses with specific references to the resources. If you are using additional articles, be sure to provide full APA-formatted citations for your references. Colleague 1: BM Americans are living far longer than they have in the past, with the average age of death at approximately 77 years of age (Ryman, 2003).  This increase in years can possibly be attributed  to our advanced medical findings, ranging from research to cure, which have resulted in prolonging the lives of individuals who otherwise may not have lived as long.  With our citizens living longer, amenities for these individuals have also been revamped, including senior housing facilities and additional units included in nursing homes.  Furthermore, it is an unfortunate reality that the elderly population in our society is often considered as a burden (Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman, 2016).  This can typically be heard when people refer to driving behind a senior citizen or shopping in the same stores.  Their habitually slower pace does not always align with our quick-paced, instantly-gratifying society, typical in the United States.  The mental and physical health of the elderly can also have an effect on society, with financial resources being allocated for this population, thus further prolonging their lives (Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman, 2016).   In countries including Japan and China, however, the elderly are viewed with a much higher prestige than here in the United States.  Their role within their families, particularly as they age, becomes more ingrained, with the majority of the elderly living with their grown children and their children (Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman, 2016).  This becomes the expectation.  In these cultures, the elderly are viewed as wise, possessing a knowledge that can only be obtained with years spent on the planet.  On the contrary if grown children consider a nursing home for their parents, they are actually considered uncaring and non-traditional (Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman, 2016).  Additionally, the Indian culture reveres their elderly population, again often living in joint families.  The patriarch in these families is often the grandfather or great grandfather.  It is customary for the grandparents to have a direct hand in raising the grandchildren, including the child care and decision making regarding the children (Ryman, 2003).   The difference between the United States and the other aforementioned viewpoints on aging can most likely be directly linked to the pace of society.  The United States prides itself on technology, economics and the resulting power.  W.

1. Response 1:
Sociocultural Differences in Perspectives on Aging
·
Respond
to at least two colleagues who addressed cultures that are
different from the ones you addressed.
·
Share an insight from reading your colleagues' postings.
·
Describe how you might incorporate the cultural perspectives on
aging described by your colleagues into your own social work
practice.
Be sure to support your responses with specific references to
the resources. If you are using additional articles, be sure to
provide full APA-formatted citations for your references.
Colleague 1: BM
Americans are living far longer than they have in the past, with
the average age of death at approximately 77 years of age
(Ryman, 2003). This increase in years can possibly be
attributed to our advanced medical findings, ranging from
research to cure, which have resulted in prolonging the lives of
individuals who otherwise may not have lived as long. With our
citizens living longer, amenities for these individuals have also

2. been revamped, including senior housing facilities and
additional units included in nursing homes. Furthermore, it is
an unfortunate reality that the elderly population in our society
is often considered as a burden (Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman,
2016). This can typically be heard when people refer to driving
behind a senior citizen or shopping in the same stores. Their
habitually slower pace does not always align with our quick-
paced, instantly-gratifying society, typical in the United States.
The mental and physical health of the elderly can also have an
effect on society, with financial resources being allocated for
this population, thus further prolonging their lives (Zastrow and
Kirst-Ashman, 2016).
In countries including Japan and China, however, the elderly are
viewed with a much higher prestige than here in the United
States. Their role within their families, particularly as they age,
becomes more ingrained, with the majority of the elderly living
with their grown children and their children (Zastrow and Kirst-
Ashman, 2016). This becomes the expectation. In these
cultures, the elderly are viewed as wise, possessing a knowledge
that can only be obtained with years spent on the planet. On the
contrary if grown children consider a nursing home for their
parents, they are actually considered uncaring and non-
traditional (Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman, 2016). Additionally,
the Indian culture reveres their elderly population, again often
living in joint families. The patriarch in these families is often
the grandfather or great grandfather. It is customary for the
grandparents to have a direct hand in raising the grandchildren,
including the child care and decision making regarding the
children (Ryman, 2003).
The difference between the United States and the other
aforementioned viewpoints on aging can most likely be directly
linked to the pace of society. The United States prides itself on
technology, economics and the resulting power. While these are
certainly aspects that have crafted America into the country it is

3. today, some may argue that sense of family and the importance
of forged relationships have been lost. This would coincide
with the different views our country holds on aging. Zastrow
and Kirst-Ashman (2016) referenced our elderly population as
being a burden on society, simply because they cannot maintain
the rigor of today’s world. This is in sharp contrast to other
cultures in which the elderly population is revered for their
wisdom of experience. This difference in viewpoint will
certainly impact upon social work practice. It would be
essential for the professional to understand the cultural
elements that come into play when dealing with the elderly. A
Chinese grandmother, for example, may have a very different
story to share than an American grandmother who is being
moved to a nursing home. Cultural competence, yet again,
plays such an integral role.
Colleague 2: Sk
The concept of aging and how various society reacts to it may
vary in a number of ways; the American culture views aging
differently from the Japanese and Latinos. NCBI (2009) states
aging in the U.S. occurs against the backdrop of cultural
ideologies such as the Protestant work ethic and the American
Dream, which define personal worth in terms of active
engagement in work, individual achievement, and responsibility
for control over one’s own actions. This perspective looks at the
American culture as one that looks at the worth of a person in
regards to their age and how they function as they age. Aging
has more benign meanings in Japan than the U.S. Japanese
conceptions of aging are rooted in Buddhist, Confucian, and
Taoist philosophical traditions that characterize aging as
maturity; old age is thus understood as a socially valuable part
of life, even a time of “spring” or “rebirth” after a busy period
of working and raising children. The Japanese culture sees their
elderly as a wealth of knowledge because they have gained so
much experience which shows they do not look at what they

4. have to contribute physically. Latinos are another group that
their culture embraces their elderly and so they seek to make
them an active part of their society because of the insights they
have that is cruicial to the upbringing of the younger
generations. In Latino cultures the elderly are believed to have
inner strength. The elderly also consider themselves to be
important members of the family and not ashamed to ask for
help; Latino elderly continue to occupy a central role in the
family and are treated with respect, status), and authority
(MHAGING 2016).
These differences exist simply because of how these society
view there elderly, industrialization, and how individuals can
contribute to the advancement of their society. Zastrow, &
Kirst-Ashman, (2016) states our society fears aging more than
other societies do; industrialization resulted in a demand for
laborers who are energetic, agile, and strong. With this
industrialization more modern societies like the United States
would embrace this change because it propels them on the
economic ladder which is not possible with elderly working so
they are better suited in settings that are far less demanding
which unfortunately makes them redundant. Whereas Japanese
and Latinos have advanced with the time they have not lost the
concept that their elderly are valuable so they keep them as
their wealth of knowledge instead of looking at them as not
being valuable to their society anymore. Different perspectives
on aging might impact social work practice significantly
because the service the social workers will advocate for will be
highly dependent on how these cultures view the need of help.
In the Japanese and Latinos culture it is more likely for them to
rely on their family for help and support in taking care of them
when they are older so they will deem the social work agencies
as interfering. This will affect the way they communicate with
the social worker so it all comes down to the social worker
being culturally competent which will allow them to be very
empathetic and sensitive to these individuals in order to develop

5. a good relationship. Elders in the American culture may not be
as sensitive to working with the social workers because they are
more cases of elderly living alone and without families so they
need the help of social services. Suffice it to say that social
worker have to be competent in any culture that they work with
in order to advocate for services that will empower them in their
later years.
Response 2
:
Social Policy: Child Abuse and Neglect
·
Respond
to at least two colleagues who selected a different position from
the one you selected by suggesting how the policy initiative can
be achieved.
·
Be sure to identify any challenges or obstacles you see in
passing and implementing the initiative.
Support your response with specific references to the resources.
Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.

6. Colleague 1: RW
The description from the NASW policy statement on child abuse
or neglect would be "authorities should leave nonoffending
parents or guardians and their children in their own homes and
remove the batterers to preserve the stability of children's
caregiving and residence in domestic violence cases." (NASW,
2008). A policy initiative that I would initiate would be expand
on this idea of allowing the nonoffending parent and the
children a place to stay. I would initiate a policy that would
help parents who may be living in the homes of the offending
parents a temporary place to stay while the gain financial
assistance to ensure safety of the children. This is similar to
some policies already in place, especially in DCS, regarding
relative placement. The idea behind the NASW statement and
existing policies are created to minimize the traumatic
experience on the children, as well as to maintain a sense of
familiarity for the children. Therefore making any removals due
to domestic violence an easier transition for the children, and
other victims involved, as well as ensuring safety of all people
involved.
NASW. (2009).
Social work speaks
. Washington, DC: NASW Press. 42-48
Colleague 2: DP
NASW Policy Statement on Child Abuse and Neglect Position
I chose the position of “Children have the right to be treated
with respect as individuals and to receive culturally sensitive
services. Children have a right to express their opinions about
their lives and have those opinions considered in all placement

7. and judicial proceedings” (National Association of Social
Workers, 2005, p. 46). While I think that children cannot fully
vouch for themselves especially depending on their age, I do
believe that children have the ability to express themselves in
one form or another. Sometimes we do not give children
enough credit as to having their own thought process as well as
how and what they comprehend. Now, what would be
conflicting is if the child wants one thing and it conflicts with
the child’s safety. Then of course appropriate action should be
taken.
Policy Initiative
The policy initiative I would be in favor for is better
accommodation in services and treatment for/towards children
in regards to children who have been abused and neglected. It
would be more in depth as to appropriateness to age as well as
maturity to include safety in all aspects. Some children are
highly adapted culturally speaking and some prefer to stay in
that setting or to have respect in cultural mannerisms. Then
there are other children whom are adamant with what they are
comfortable in and around and have preferences to their
individual liking. While all accommodations might not be made
satisfactorily according to the specific individual child, there is
still the ability to strive in giving all of what is available to a
child or to respect a child’s unique wishes and likings.
Georgia’s State Policies
Georgia’s child abuse policy for court procedures outlines that
within the first 72 hours professional/officials will decipher
what will happen with the child (Court Appointed Special
Advocates for Children, n.d., pp. 3-4). The initiative I offered
up could alter the policy by extending this timeline of when a
child is taken into custody and who determines what. This I
believe could happen because depending on what the child
expresses (whether it is concerns or the direction the child

8. wants to go) can make this a lengthier process so that the child
can elaborate and get the respect as well as specific services
needed to cater to the child.
References
Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children. (n.d.).
Georgia Laws Governing Child Abuse. Retrieved October 19,
2016, from
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=w
eb&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjK2reakejPAhUJNiY
KHXFiAIYQFggcMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gacasa.org
%2Fintranet%2Fref_library%2FChapter%25201%2520%26%252
02%2520Handout%2520-
%2520Georgia%2520Laws%2520Governing%2520Child%2520
Abuse.doc&usg=AFQjCNFFrKjNE_dvrGzw7gh7X5icf3mghQ
National Association of Social Workers. (2005). Child Abuse
and Neglect. Retrieved October 19, 2016, from
http://www.socialworkers.org/pressroom/swmonth/2012/toolkit/
standards/Child Abuse and Neglect.PDF