Book

From childhood to centenarian

Progress PublishersMoscow • Published In 1984 • Pages:

By: Garb, Paula.

Abstract
During the summer of 1979 the author joined an expedition of Soviet cultural anthropologists in the mountain settlements of Abkhazia as part of a long-term joint Soviet-United States project on aging and longevity, seeking the secrets of an active life beyong the age of 90, the academics' definition of what they term a long-lived person. After a series of background interviews with centenarians about what they eat, how much they sleep, what work schedules they keep, etc., Garb asked her informants to take her back to their childhood and recount all they could remember about their long lives dating back to the nineteenth century. These individuals reminisced about life in Abkhasia during czarist rule at the time when the patriarchal feudal order was just giving way to burgeoning capitalist development. They recalled their parents, the way they were raised, their memories of early Soviet government, the formation of collective farms, World War II, and their opinions of modern Abkhasian youth.
Subjects
Life history materials
Mortality
Senescence
Status and treatment of the aged
Artificial kin relationships
Adoption
Infant care
Child care
Education system
culture
Abkhazians
HRAF PubDate
2009
Region
Asia
Sub Region
Caucasus
Document Type
Book
Evaluation
Creator Type
Ethnologist
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
John Beierle; 2007
Field Date
1979-1982
Coverage Date
1864-1979
Coverage Place
Abkhazia, Georgia
Notes
Paula Garb
Includes bibliographical references (p. 182)
LCCN
84207534
LCSH
Family--Georgia (Republic)--Abkhazia/Child rearing--Georgia (Republic)--Abkhazia/Abkhazians--Social conditions/Abkhazians--Social life and customs/Centenarians--Georgia (Republic)--Abkhazia