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Physical activity is widely considered to be a significant contributing factor to how “successfully” one ages. There are, however, certain groups whose voices have not been widely heard in discussions around physical activity and aging, particularly those from diverse cultural backgrounds. In this research, we explored how Alaska Native Elders perceive the role of physical activity as they age and its contribution to successful aging. Based on semi-structured interviews with 41 Elders, the results show that engaging in physical activity was not just seen as a personal responsibility to maintain health and age successfully, but also as a way to resist Western society’s dominant view of older adults as deteriorating and declining by being physically active regardless of age; to improve or maintain their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health; and/or to enable them to continue participating in subsistence activities that are rooted in their culture and traditional roles as Elders.
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This content will become publicly available on February 17, 2026
A Discourse Analysis of Cultural Influences on Alaska Native Successful Aging
Geographical remoteness, limited resources, and socioeconomic disparities contribute to the migration of rural Alaska Native Elders to urban areas to access medical services and resources, improve economic situations, or reunite with family. We compared the discourse of 12 Elders in Anchorage who previously lived in four remote traditional villages in the Norton Sound region (ages 60–84) and 13 Elders in those villages (ages 48–80). Using Gee’s discourse analysis framework, two patterns emerged detailing cultural effects on identity and Eldership, illuminating differences in the self-evaluation of successful aging based on cultural influences and the role of contextual factors.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2451864
- PAR ID:
- 10593417
- Publisher / Repository:
- Taylor and Francis Publishers
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work
- Volume:
- 68
- Issue:
- 2
- ISSN:
- 0163-4372
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 207 to 233
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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