Approach to a Life History

Running head: APPROACH TO A LIFE HISTORY 1
Approach to a life history
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APPROACH TO A LIFE HISTORY 2
Introduction
The person chosen for the study is Mary, a woman who is aged 70 years. Mary lives with
her two grandsons, daughter in- law and her son. In the society, media tend to associate elderly
people with a lot of negative cultural attitudes (Rowe & Kahn, 2015). The community glorifies
the youth linking them with sexuality and beauty. The roles in the society are not appreciated as
compared to that of children. Many people associate aging with hostility. Biological function
about numbers of years does not only reveal the age of a person lived but also the expectations
and social norms that were used in each phase of life. Many aspects that are associated with
aging depend on gender, education, race, social class and other related social factors that affect
the presence of an individual. There are many stereotypes and assumptions about aging in the
society. Each culture has its assumptions and expectations about aging which contribute the part
of socialization in the community. The main aim of the article is to understand how the
processes and the social structure of the society influence the experiences of old age as well as
aging.
Methodology
The methods used to collect information from Mary were face to face interviews,
questionnaires and focused the discussion. The method of data collection is determined by the
information needed (Svensson et al, 2016). The interview mainly focused on the health,
education and work aspect of Mary. Through the interview, Mary revealed that he suffered from
hypertension when she was 65 years. She has been receiving medication and changed her eating
habit. She is educated and graduated with a degree in Psychology. In her lifetime, she has
worked in rehabilitation centers and hospitals. She provides counseling to people with mental

APPROACH TO A LIFE HISTORY 3
disorders. Questionnaires were used to gather information about the age, marital status,
nationality, college attended and some children. There was also a discussion with her family
members on how they take care of their old parents and make sure all the necessities are
provided. There were about 15 questions, and the interviewee was free to ask any question. The
interview was lively, and Mary enjoyed sharing her life history.
Interviewee profile
Mary is aged 70 years, and she is a family friend. I have been a friend with Mary for
more than ten years. She has taught me many things such how to relate well to others in the
society. Mary is my neighbor, and I have a good relationship with her. She is known to be
jovial, welcoming, generous and kind. Many of the old people are associated with hostility, but
her case is different. She is a widow, and her husband died ten years ago due to cancer. Since
the death of her husband, she has been living happily with the family of her son. She enjoys the
company of her grandson John and James who they like playing with. She is a white American
but currently living in India where they were living before the death of her husband.
Life history of Mary
Mary was born in the family of two children. She attended Harvard University and
graduated in a Bachelor degree in Psychology. She had passion in helping people with mental
illness. From her passion and commitments, she has been able to help many people in United
States as well Indians. She got married when she was 25 years to Mark Orton. She enjoyed her
marriage till the death of her husband. In the interview, she said that the death of her parents
when she was fifty years affected and changed her responsibility. She had to take care of the
property which she inherited from her parents. All activities had to run accordingly despite the