Title

Cross-Cultural Understandings of Festival Food-Related Activities for Older Women in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Eastern Kentucky, USA and Auckland, New Zealand

Authors

Valerie A. Wright-St Clair, Auckland University of Technology
Doris A. Pierce, Eastern Kentucky University
Wannipa Bunrayong, Chiang Mai University
Claire Hocking, Auckland University of Technology

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-2013

Abstract

This cross-country, cross-cultural study explored the meaning of older women’s food-related activities for the annual festivals of Songkran (Thai New Year) in Chiang Mai, Thailand; and Christmas in Richmond, Kentucky, USA; and Auckland, New Zealand. A derived etic method was used. The community-dwelling participants were 33 Thai women, aged 60 and older, and 16 New Zealand and 23 eastern Kentucky women, aged 65 and older. This article focuses on the final cross-cultural analysis of the data. Emic, or within-country, findings are presented, followed by the derived etic, or cross-cultural, interpretations for two themes of meaning; older women’s ‘protecting what matters’ and ‘leading the way’. Applying derived etic methods helped reveal how, despite the highly different food-related practices, preparing and sharing celebratory foods at Songkran or Christmas held related meanings for older women in Thailand, Kentucky USA, and New Zealand.

Recommended Citation

Clair, V. A., Pierce, D., Bunrayong, W., Rattakorn, P., Vittayakorn, S., Shordike, A., & Hocking, C. (2013). Cross-Cultural Understandings of Festival Food-Related Activities for Older Women in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Eastern Kentucky, USA and Auckland, New Zealand. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology J Cross Cult Gerontol, 28(2), 103-119. DOI: 10.1007/s10823-013-9194-5