https://www.designboom.com/art/biancoshock-real-life-internet-civitacampomarano-italy-web-05-03-2016/

I thought the who is considered old section was the most interesting because it explained the correlation between the perceived value of the elderly and the age that someone is considered old. Deciding which plants are safe to eat, magical powers and reindeer milk.

Which segment did you find most interesting and why?
I found the section about special food that only the elderly can eat very interesting. More specifically, the part about the Arunta Aborigines, and how "The Arunta believe that eating parrots will create a hollow in a young man’s head, and a hole will grow in the chin" and the many other dangers if a younger person eats these special foods.

Which event(s) led to the passing of an Elderly Rights Law (Article 207 of the Civil Code) in France? What do you take away from this?
The Elderly Rights Law was passed due to a study that was showing many elderly suicides, specifily in France. I found it sad that there are so many elderly suicides, and that a law was needed to make people visit their elders. I think that it should be kindness that inspires someone to visit their grandparents, not the threat of jail time.

What are highly specialized skills and knowledge that come from old age? Give examples from at least 3 different cultures.
Hawaiian grandmothers have the skill to make unique ornate leis and feather accessories.
In Ecuador, elderly shamans have magical powers and are believed to transform into jaguars.
Age is typically associated with wisdom in western society.

I found this reading to be interesting. I enjoyed learning about how different cultures perceive aging and how the elderly are treated.

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• I found it interesting when Diamond was talking about where the elderly live. I was interested in the laws where kids of seniors are required to visit and keep in touch. 
• In France, there was a high rate of suicide on the elderly and a heat wave that a large number of elderly people died. I took away from this that the French culture respects the elderly and sees great value in keeping them alive. 
• In Hawaii, old people have special skills at creating ornate leis and feather accessories, in New Guinea there is only one person who witnessed a typhoon and people look to her for advice and knowledge. 

• Which segment did you find most interesting and why?

I found the section on words the describe the elderly very interesting. Language has such a big impact on how we view things and are able to express ourselves. The words and suffixes we relate with the elderly can have a big impact on how we view them. In English/America, I feel like we tend to associate the word elderly with feeble or frail, we don't really see people referring to them as revered or respectable. 

• Which event(s) led to the passing of an Elderly Rights Law (Article 207 of the Civil Code) in France? What do you you take away from this?

15,000 people committed suicide, most of them were elderly. People in America will tend to ignore their parents, and as both get older that increases. Sometimes we ignore the fact that they have complex emotions too because we view them as a fraction of their younger self. But they do have feelings, and when the people they raised leave and emotionally neglect them and the rest of society treats them like they don't have a purpose it gets hard to keep having motivation through aging. 

• What are highly specialized skills and knowledge that come from old age? Give examples from at least 3 different cultures.

In Hawaii, grandmothers are usually very good at creating leis. They can have great experience at skills they built up over time. In New Guinea witnessed a typhoon and learned important survival skills, which people revered her for. In America, most presidents and supreme court justices are over 50. This might be because they have had time to experience a lot that life has to offer and have had time to get an education. 

• Which segment did you find most interesting and why?

I found the segment titled "And what does the end of life look like?" the most interesting as it showed the stark contrast between different cultures around the world. The brutal reality of how some cultures treat their elderly highlighted the differences in the many cultures of the world. In our society and culture, we do everything possible to try and keep our elderly healthy and alive, whereas in other cultures elderly are seen as a hindrance and they are murdered or set out to die. It was shocking to see the grave difference between cultures and how they treat their elderly. 

• Which event(s) led to the passing of an Elderly Rights Law (Article 207 of the Civil Code) in France? What do you you take away from this?

The passing of an Elderly Rights Law (Article 207 of the Civil Code) in France was due to two specific events; "a study that showed a high rate of elderly suicides in France, and to a heat wave in which 15,000 mostly elderly people died". This shows that the culture in France is to care for the elderly and what they can to keep them alive and healthy, as when many of their elderly were suicidal or even dying of natural causes, they passed a law that required adults to stay connected to their elderly parents.

• What are highly specialized skills and knowledge that come from old age? Give examples from at least 3 different cultures.

"...Hawaiian grandmothers are revered for their unique knowledge and skill at creating ornate leis and feather accessories."

"Similarly, since an elderly woman in New Guinea was the only person alive who witnessed a devastating typhoon, her people looked to her for guidance on which plants are safe to eat if another disaster were to strike."

"The Huaorani people of Ecuador believe that elderly shamans, called mengatoi, are endowed with magical powers..."

I really the part where he spoke about the two parts shaping elders' roles in societies; their practicality and usefulness, and the cultural values of that society. Personally, I sort of dispute this because I feel that practicality and usefulness, shape the cultural values of a society. Most values and beliefs are products of techniques that are successful.  In the book, Ishmael, Daniel Quinn talks about the 'takers and the leavers'. I feel like in traditional societies, leavers, elders' roles in societies were based on need, there was no choice. In modern societies, takers, there is no need for elders to have roles, nor is there a need for them to not have roles. Societies have sovereignty over the value of elders in their societies. Some value them high, some value the low, but unlike any other time in history, it is by choice. 

The Elderly Rights Law was passed due to France having the highest suicide rate in Europe amongst pensioners. Assumably because of neglect from family members. In addition, 6 months prior to the bill being passed, 15,000 mostly elderly people died in a heatwave.

In Ancient Rome, living a long life was so rare that elders were considered very wise, treated with great respect, and seen as role models

In Ancient Egypt, living to 110 years was considered the reward for a balanced and virtuous life so sons were expected to care for their elders. In addition, some of the effects of aging, which we consider gross, were customary and part of the cleansing process.

Ancient China:

Although elders were treated with reverence and respect, some effects of aging, for example, hearing loss, were thought to be diseases. A quality life was one that lasted long and was without 'disease'.

I was very interested in the part about death. I thought it was very intriguing how some elderly voluntarily die because of most people in the US try everything they can t live. This made me wonder if the people who voluntarily went out on impossible voyages believed in a higher power or if they just thought that death was inevitable and they should do it sooner rather than later.

This made me also think about all the elders who have passed away in my lifetime. I've noticed a pattern that once they all reached a certain age they were ready to die. It always scares me to think about but I haven't yet experienced the full life that they had.

• In New Guinea, people look up to elders for guidance, for example, there was this one woman who was the only living person that survived a devastating typhoon and they relied on her to teach them all she knew about survival. 
• The Huaorani people who reside in Ecuador believe that elderly shamans (mengatoi) have magical powers like shapeshifting.
• In America, we tend to let or elders to run our country whether it's in the Whitehouse or the supreme court.

I found the section about death to be the most interesting. how each culture approaches the end of their lives is all different but with the same end result. shows how we can all be similar and different at the same time.

I take away that Elders are being accepted into community as functioning humans who still have much to contribute even if they cannot do so physically

Hawai'ian elders are revered for their skills in making leis. In the US and many western societies, elders hold high ranking positions in government due to their vast knowledge. Some cultures believe them to have special powers such as transformation but that doesn't really seem to be legit

i found that what words describe the elderly was the most interesting because i did not know what Kiswahili meant and how it represents a sign of respect.

A lot of senior citizens were committing suicide as well as a fatal heatwave that killed many of the elderly.

grandmothers in Hawaii are believed to have special knowledge and skill at making ornate leis and feather accessories. Huaoranians think that shamans, called mengatoi have the ability to turn into Jaguars. Western societies use the experience and knowledge from the Elders to guide and lead their community.