engleski

Aging and Dying in Croatian Rural Community at the End of the 19th and Beginning of the 20th Century

Aim. The authors have concentrated upon the data related to the Croats living in the Croatian rural environment at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. The aim was to reveal how pervasively the culture patterns of a community determined the people"s response to the phenomena of growing old and dying, as well as to get an insight into the social, psychological and medical dimension of these phenomena. Methods. This study is based upon the raw material published in a series of Zbornik za narodni život i običaje južnih Slavena, considered as a source material for the anthropological, ethnological, sociological and medico historical analysis. Selected are the examples from different parts of the country, from northern Croatia and Slavonia, to Istria and Dalmatia. Results. According to the collected data it is evident that oldness and dying among the people of rural Croatia had been understood as an natural, inevitable part of human life.Known facts indicate variety of the concepts including such as who should be given the status of an old person. Mostly " oldness" has been defined through the utilitarian concept of life which was primarily evaluated from the aspects of social usefulness and working ability of a person. In Croatian rural society value of life was expressed through desirable qualities such as "healthy", "strong" and "good worker", which in a way included and wisdom as maturity. There is no significant reference to the wealth or poverty as dominant criteria. Probably because majority of Croatian peasants of that time were poor. Social status and the quality of care highly depended upon the general opinions about individual"s morality and kindness in previous and present period of life. Miserliness and morosoness, selfishness and stubborn resistance toward modernization of life style have been pointed out as the main reason and justification for their isolation and unpropper care. Such attitudes were strongly expressed by common speakers and by the elderly people speaking for themselves about their own sensibility to ancientness and death in general, including their status in society and family. Conclusions. Analyzed sources have revealed the presence of dichotomy between the ideal, declarative morality and desirable habits and acre for an aged, sick, disabled or dying person, mostly coming from traditional and Christian philosophy of life, and the reality of life itself as described in particular cases.

aging; Croatia; death; rural health; rural population

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