The statement of old age period in literature

In this article we will review the most paradoxical and contradictory period of life, old age. Like other stages of life, this stage has its own face, its own joys and pains. The old age period, like other age-related developments, is related to specific changes in living conditions. These include changes in physical possibilities, loss of social status, change of function in the family, death of close relatives or the danger of losing them, worsening economic situation, and the necessity of adapting to changing cultural and domestic conditions. Similarly, the end of work activity causes a radical change in the lifestyle of many people.

¹ CC BY 4.0 . © The Author(s). Publisher: IMCRA. Authors expressly acknowledge the authorship rights of their works and grant the journal the first publication right under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License International CC-BY, which allows the published work to be freely distributed to others, provided that the original authors are cited and the work is published in this journal.

Citation. Majidova T.R. (2025). The statement of old age period in literature. Science, Education and Innovations in the Context of Modern Problems, 8(3), 643-652. doi: 10.56352/sei/8.3.39.

According to I.S., no period of life is as contradictory as old age, from the perspective of the subject. He notes that there are two types of views on old age: some think about happy old age, where one sees the reward of one's own labor, while others prefer to die in youth, without facing the difficulties of old age and without experiencing feelings of helplessness [2].

In psychology, old age is the final period of a person, which begins with his immediate separation from the creative life of society. Old age is not a static state, but a dynamic process, so that old age depends on specific changes in living conditions, many of which, unfortunately, have negative consequences. The study of the psychological possibilities of a person in old age is not only of scientific actuality, but also of vital importance. So that old age is traditionally perceived as a period of sorrow, grief, longing, pain, distress. Indeed, these are potentially present in all people in old age. At the same time, since the differences in the manifestation of individual signs of old age do not allow to determine the age limit between adulthood and old age with certainty, old age is also considered as a period of development. The fact that everyone ages differently shows that sorrow, grief, longing, pain and suffering are not the only legacy of old age. This age period has a special role in a person's life, it traces the general development perspective of identity, provides the connection between generations. Only from the position of old age is it possible to understand life as a complete unit, to understand and explain its nature and meaning, its obligations to future and past generations.

The researches of herentologists and herentophologists show that along with the processes of involution during senescence, there are also processes opposing it. Nowadays senility is considered as a process of reconstruction of the organism, like the developmental age period, accompanied by the preservation of its qualities in a specific way, against the background of the general decrease of specific adaptive functions [3].

Old age is expressed by the intersection of three processes: psychological, biological and social aging. The characteristics of psychological old age are related to how a person imagines and feels his own old age. Every person has a relationship with old age, compares his own aging process to that of others, thinks about how to adapt to old age, how to overcome difficulties. As a person ages, his efficiency and resistance to psychoactive factors decrease, and he has a hard time enduring the difficulties of life. The events in the environment create emotional tension in them, which forces them to look at the "today" in a different way and expect that "tomorrow" will bring only negative emotions - illness, old age and death. As people grow older, their behavior changes, they become more angry, irritable and impatient with their surroundings, their mood changes frequently. In the studies conducted by E. Krepelinin [4], it is recorded that in old age, eccentricity, stubbornness, suspicion of everyone and everything are formed, which are the harbingers of future diseases and manifest in the form of senile dementia, and this process is strengthened with increasing age. The author describes the stubbornness of old people as their ability to think becomes more difficult, their energy decreases. According to Krepelini, as a result of age-related changes in the aging

process, the characteristics inherent in human personality change negatively. Positive qualities such as caution, perseverance, not being wasteful acquire new forms such as stinginess, stubbornness, cowardice.

Biological senility is characterized by changes in the structure and functions of the organism as age increases, the organism's defense mechanisms weaken, and it becomes more susceptible to diseases.

Social old age is related to the change in social status and behavior that occurs when a person realizes himself as a part of society. It is accepted that every society at the desired level of development is based on youth and maturity, their health, strength and creative ability. In the modern society, which is industrially developed, this conformity to law shows itself more strongly. In psychological literature, the "winner" and the "loser" are contrasted. The winner must be young enough, not old, healthy, active, full of life energy, successful in business and family plans, not have problems, and when they do, not argue. It is necessary to be a winner in order to have a good place in society. As a result, aging and illness are often considered a sad habit. The spread of such views in society has serious psychological pressure not only on old men, but even on members of society who are approaching the appropriate age.

The perspective that youth is better, old age is worse is found in the way these two age groups see each other. The negative view of old age is often related to how society sees and reflects this age period. The old man is defined by additional characteristics that degrade and make his identity miserable . Indeed, the term "old man" is often used to degrade another person in the context of different expressions. People who use these expressions, of course, do not consider themselves to belong to this age group, so their health, mental characteristics and physical possibilities are still on track. Even they calculate that old men usually go the tested way, they do not have the ability to grasp new ideas, they cannot endure difficulties. Isn't it possible for a person who is still in adulthood to have these characteristics long before he grows old? It should also be noted that the age period of people also shows itself in terms of relativity. For example, the results of a survey conducted among 13-year-old British adolescents on the question "What does it mean to be old?" showed that some of the adolescents considered people aged 45 to be old. They said that the retirement rights of old people were not high, and that they also smelled bad and their hearing was weak [4].

In foreign literature, psychological features of the aging process are classified differently. Russian scientist V. V. Boltenko [5] distinguishes several stages of psychological senility and states that it does not depend on chronological age. The author shows that at the first stage, a connection is established with the type of activity that was important for a person before retirement, which can be achieved either by partial participation in the performance of previous work, or by reading literature, writing articles on their profession. In the second stage, the person's circle of interests narrows, as the connection with his profession is cut off, and in communication with his

environment, discussions of household issues, television programs, the successes and failures of his children and grandchildren dominate. In the third stage, care for his own health comes to the fore, and medicines, medicinal plants, and treatment tools become the main subject of conversations. In the fourth stage, life itself becomes more meaningful. The circle of communication is limited to the doctor who treats him, his relatives, and the closest neighbors. VV Boltenko noted that in the fifth stage, only vital needs (food, rest, sleep, etc.) remain, and there is almost no emotion and communication.

Charlotte Bueller - the author of the theory of human development, presents a similar concept. She distinguishes 5 phases of development. The last, fifth phase begins at the age of 65-70. According to the French psychologist, many people at this age no longer work to achieve their goals, focusing their efforts only on health problems and the rest of their lives. That is why older people are either satisfied with their lifestyle or disappointed. Angry people are often disappointed, because they usually do not enjoy success and are never satisfied with their own performance. The older they get, the more these hesitations become [5].

Adapting to aging also depends on a person's personality qualities. Research by British psychologist DB Brombley and his colleagues such an idea allows to say that in order to be happy with old age, one must prepare oneself for it. DB Brombley distinguishes 5 types of adaptation of identity to old age [6]: 1) Those who have a constructive attitude towards old age are cautious, critical of themselves and patient with their environment, have an optimistic view of life, accept death as a natural event, have permanent plans for the future, can count on the help of those around them; 2) Those who hold a dependent position do not have life plans and therefore are willing to leave the work environment and the family environment provides them with a sense of security; 3) Those who take a defensive position become emotional, cautious, try not to ask for help from others, hesitate to express their own opinions, do not express dissatisfaction with the family and refuse to work under the pressure of others; 4) Those who take a position of hostility towards those around them become aggressive, suspicious of everyone, try to blame others for their own mistakes and failures, cannot properly assess reality, suspiciousness of others forces them to withdraw into themselves. Failure to reconcile with their own old age causes them to fear death; 5) People who have a hostile attitude towards themselves are passive, they do not rebel against their own old age, they obediently accept their fate and become depressed. Loneliness and the feeling of being of no use to anyone further deepen this situation, they look at their own old age as real, the end of life, death is measured by them as a relief from boredom [6].

Different personality types were also discovered in the studies conducted by Hann. The participants of the study were observed from adolescence to early middle age. As a result of the research, the author identified the following personality types: the silent type - in line with the constructive type of DB Brombley and the disturbed type - blaming others for their own failures.

Research shows that types discovered in old age correspond to types identified in early adulthood. Analysis of Ayken's works shows that some of the more durable types of identity do not undergo strong changes throughout life, while less durable types undergo age changes. Neugarten also noted in his work that old men are withdrawn. According to the author, they do not withdraw into themselves because of their work needs, and this is because the world, which is favorable for young people, does not give old people the chance to continue their old lifestyle [4].

The majority of researchers who study old age believe that identity is formed long before the first gray hairs appear, that a person can adapt his identity, but cannot radically change it. There are many ways of successful old age, but they all involve accepting limitations and replacing the sense of responsibility with a sense of certainty. A less successful strategy for aging is to live in fear, watching the destructive effects of aging, and to try to do activities that are not typical of his age. However, this path means rejecting aging and is therefore less successful. The worst option is when the old man has no strategy and blames others for his dissatisfaction with his personal life. Successful old age involves accepting restrictions and refusing to take responsibility, but it can also be under pressure from society, meaning that in old age the man is forced to give up his old position. The most effective way is to implement these changes voluntarily. People who age successfully do not act based on philosophical views on life, but rather on their pragmatic nature.

Research shows that the characteristic feature of the crisis of old age is the attempt to grasp the meaning of life, to put an end to one's own activity. People who experience this crisis try to grasp the meaning of the years they have lived. E. Erikson [7], introducing the term "identity", writes that this age period is characterized by the separation of two tendencies: purposefulness and despair. Understanding the meaning and purpose of one's own life allows a person to grasp his own life as a whole, consisting of a series of stages, such as the development and formation of his personality, self-expression. Otherwise, life seems to a person to consist of unrelated stages and to be lived in vain.

Of course, all this causes depression in the mental life of old age. The characteristic feature of senile depression is that the morale is always sad and anxious: the idea of living a life of nothingness, and sometimes of being of little help to relatives, can darken the inner world of old people. When depression is strong, the old person loses the love of life, his resistance to difficulties decreases, the processes of action and thinking are delayed, and in the last stage of depression, the old people refuse any activity other than meeting their normal needs. Strongly expressed depression reduces their self-esteem and increases their sensitivity to external factors: any unwanted clash with their loved ones, any argument instills in them the idea that they are unlovely, unnecessary. According to the Russian scientist N. Vasilenko [8], depression is often connected with the fact that elderly people are only concerned with themselves, their own problems and illnesses. This further strengthens their egocentrism, their efforts to project their inner world onto others. Depression of elderly people differs from other age groups in that they do not seek social contact.

This fact is reflected in the idea of being unnecessary to others and in the lowering of self-esteem, which they consider all actions of their relatives as manifestations of neglect and unlovedness towards them. The elderly person gradually breaks off relations with other people, moves away from them and reconciles with his own loneliness, feeling helpless and hopeless.

Some authors note in their works that the sense of usefulness plays an important role in the minds of people, especially the elderly. The greatest source of joy in this period is grandchildren. But the attitude of young people towards representatives of the older generation is not always clear. According to the results of the survey conducted among students of the TVSkorik University, the majority of respondents (92.3%) considered all people who have reached retirement age to be old men. Only 45% of the respondents give them a seat in their transport. The participants agree that old people have a lot of knowledge, but 67.4% of the participants say that there is no need to talk to them and listen to their advice on important issues. This is not actually considered as disrespect to old people, but rather as an indifferent attitude. Regarding their grandparents, 71.2% of the young people reported that they see them once a month when they need to, 67% talk on the phone, 58% never want to discuss their personal matters with them, and they agree that the elderly are busy watching TV programs and reading books [7].

Ayden and many other authors have devoted much of their research to the socio-economic aspect of old age, another important area. According to them, unsuccessful old people talk about the fact that "their luck did not bring them" until the end of their lives, and that external forces prevented them from achieving a higher social status. Researchers have shown that such people are socially He says that people who experience life’s “full dazzling prisms” are more optimistic about life [3].

Every person overcomes the problems of old age in some way, but it is very important to adapt to the advancing old age. Many people experience subjective and objective fears about the financial and social environment and the approaching death after retirement. This period is a period of reviewing the years lived, summing them up, and analyzing the meaning of life. But this period is also a period of experience and wisdom, freedom from responsibilities and duties, and the opening of new opportunities. The important thing is to understand oneself and to live an active lifestyle.

Some researchers have also conducted numerous studies on the adaptation to old age in men and women. The analysis of these studies is based on the conclusion that there is no similar adaptation to old age in men and women. This can be explained by the differences in lifestyle of representatives of both sexes. British psychologist D. Brazers [10] distinguishes five periods in the life path of an adult man: self-expression, stabilization, the critical decade, the balance and retirement period. According to his theory, a person's life during retirement can be one of the best periods for him. A man quits his job, his life becomes unstable, he no longer has the financial security of the family he devoted so many years of his life to. He thinks that it is time to rest, read

books, plant and raise trees in his family circle. The author comments that, however, events start to happen differently in this period, the person who is retired and starts to work on the farm gradually starts to grow more products, then starts to calculate the money he spent on seeds and fertilizers, and after a while, growing products turns into work for him. Since the idea that the most valuable thing is to work has been implanted in his mind throughout his life, he continues to work, plants, raises, educates his grandchildren, and helps his family. According to Brazersin, after retirement, men start to think that they have lost their place in society and their own individuality. Women do not go through this process more painlessly than men [11]. The distinctive feature of women is that they are naturally family-oriented, so living events related to their loved ones with them, thinking about them, pushes events related to the woman herself into the background. However, it is stated that if a woman relies on her beauty and the pleasure of success in her life, aging is perceived as defeat and the end of her entire career. However, when a woman sees herself first as a "mother" or "wife", her adaptation to old age is also more painless. Numerous literature sources show that psychological preparation for this period of life is very important for both men and women.

Psychologists recommend various means to ensure an active lifestyle in old age, such as engaging in a new type of activity (painting, needlework, singing, etc.) or simply changing previously acquired habits and habits . Learning a foreign language can also be an excellent tool for developing your thinking processes. These activities activate the brain and, as a result, have a positive effect on the physiological processes of the body. That is why professors and teachers of higher education institutions working in professions related to science, politics, art, teachers of art schools, musicians, painters, employees in social and political circles and others continue to work, despite the fact that they are already at retirement age. It is not only about their experience and knowledge, but also about their physical and mental health. Therefore, social determinants of aging - social factors that affect biological and psychological processes of aging, slowing them down or accelerating them. Here belong the mutual relations in the family, at work and in the general social (society), professional activity (degree of mental and physical load), status in society, the attitude of society itself to the elderly and social defense, etc.

There are several ways of social-psychological adaptation of elderly people to compensate for the emotional tension they are in. This is their contact with nature, their inclination to art (both personal creativity and interest in works of art), the formation of new types of activity, the emergence of new interests and future life perspectives.

Research and observations also show that contact with nature, taking care of pets, taking care of houseplants, gardens and vineyards significantly reduces tension and compensates for the lack of communication in the elderly. People who spend a lot of time in nature are less likely to express fear of loneliness, have lower levels of aggression and are less likely to experience depression. A tendency towards art is also of no small importance. Foreign scientists have come to the conclusion that men who often go to the theater, museums, exhibition halls are more mentally

resilient and less prone to depression than their peers who are indifferent to art. According to many authors, such interests penetrate into the structure of identity, create in them a constant, unchanging motivation with age crisis, not subject to the dynamics of the situation, the circle of communication and other age factors, and such behavior turns into the necessary lifestyle, which gives general endurance to the process of adaptation old age, in order for the aging process to pass successfully in the old age period, where development continues, conditions should be created for old people to expand their interests, acquire new knowledge and skills, form a new social position, and transform new types of creative activity into their lifestyle, and they should be helped to realize themselves.

Resources

Alex d’Erizans. 2022. Teaching and Learning Through the Holocaust. Teaching and Learning Through the Holocaust 75 106 .

Alperovich VD Old age. Socio-philosophical analysis. Rostov-on-Don: Ed. SKNÇVŞ, 1998, 104 p.

Allison, E. B. (2010). Pedagogy – how is it influenced in primary schools? A comparative study of literature about pedagogical influences in primary schools in England and Poland, with a focus on English primary schools. Education 3-13, 38(1), 55–67.

Asadov, A. (2021). The role of world literature in the formation of students' planetary thinking. Laplage em Revista, 7(3C), 360–363. Asadov, A. (2022). Issues of teaching world literature in the Republic of Azerbaijan. Sciences of Europe.

Asadov, A. (2023). Роль світової літератури у формуванні планетарного мислення учнів (кейс Азербайджану). Науково-теоретичний альманах Грані, 26(4), 160–166.

Asadov, A. A. (2023). Azerbaijani literature, literary and philosophical view from Eastern experience in the context of Western thought. Science, Education and Innovations in the Context of Modern Problems, 3–4(6), 68–75.

Asadov A., A. (2025). Comparative literary pedagogy: analyzing the presence of world literature in Azerbaijani school textbooks. Science, Education and Innovations in the Context of Modern Problems, 8(3), 512-527. doi: 10.56352/sei/8.3.30.

Chernobrovkina SV Gender characteristics. Experience of overcoming the midlife crisis. // Omsk University Bulletin. Series "Psychology". 2014, No. 2, pp. 30-42.

Ermamolaeva MV Psychology of mature and late ages in questions and answers. Proc. appropriation, ed. M .: Moscow Psychological and Social Institute, 2004, 280 p.

Geoffrey Short & Bruce Carrington. (1992) The Development of Children's Understanding of Jewish Identity and Culture. School Psychology International 13:1, pages 73-89 .Crossref

Geoffrey Short & Bruce Carrington. (1995) Antisemitism and the primary school: children's perceptions of Jewish culture and identity. Research in Education 54:1, pages 14-24 .Crossref

Geoffrey Short. (2003) Holocaust Education in the Primary School: Some reflections on an emergent debate. London Review of Education 1:2, pages 120-129 .Crossref

Joycs Brazers. What every woman should know about men. Ed. Author, 1994, p. 272.

Kadyrova V.Kh. Psychological characteristics of the emotional sphere of elderly people//Concept: scientific and methodological electronic journal, 2012, Issue 7, pp. 5-9.

Krasnova OV, Lider AG Social psychology of old age, Ed. M: "Academy", 2002, 208

Krasnova OV, Lidera AG. Psychology of old age and aging. M .: Publishing Center "Academy", 2003. 416 p.

Krupskaya N. K. Selected pedagogical works. Baku, Education, 1966, 449 p.

Maharramov M. On educating the character of students, Baku, "Maarif Publishing House", 1967, 78 p.

Mikayilli B. (2025). Analysis of Janusz Korczak’s pedagogical ideas in the context of children’s rights and upbringing. Science, Education and Innovations in the Context of Modern Problems, 8(2), 398-419.

Najafov R. (2025). A comprehensive study of the factors and patterns of formation of deviant behavior among young people. Science, Education and Innovations in the Context of Modern Problems, 8(1), 748-771. doi: 10.56352/sei/8.1.49.

Scotland. PROSPECTS 40:2, pages 257-272 .Crossref

Pedagogical and psychological character of logical thinking. S. Jafarov. “Azerbaijan School”, March-April №2 (678), 2017, pp. 19-23.

Private Guide Lesson EAB Preparation, 2016.

Prof. Dr. Melike Celestial Psychology of Development. 169 p.

Sabrina Moisan, Sivane Hirsch & Geneviève Audet. (2016) Holocaust Education in Quebec: Teachers’ Positioning and Practices. McGill Journal of Education 50:2-3, pages 247-268 .Crossref

Serkan Deniz & Eyüp İzci. (2023) The Views of Classroom Teachers on the Instruction of Current Issues. Sage Open 13:4 .Crossref

Skorik TV Social determinants of the senescence process // Priority areas of research: from theory to practice: Sat. Materials XI International scientific and practical. Conf. under general. Ed. SS Chernova. - Novosibirsk: ÇRNS, 2014, pp. 111-116.

Stuart-Hamilton, E. The psychology of old age. SP (b).: Piter, 2010, 320 p.

Topic IS The search for the self: personality and self-identity. M.: Politizdat, 1984, 195 p.

Vasilenko N.Yu. Social herontology. Vladivostok. Ed. Far Eastern University, 2003, 140 p.

Vasilenko N.Yu. Social herontology. Vladivostok. Ed. Far Eastern University, 2003, 140 p.

IMCRA - International Meetings and Conferences Research Association

Share— copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format. Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially. The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.

Under the following terms:

Attribution — you must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. No additional restrictions