Age Identification: A Comparison between Finnish and North-American Cultures

Abstract

This study examined perceptions of age among Finnish males and females in three age groups; twenty-five to thirty-nine-year-olds ( n = 446), forty to fifty-four-year-olds ( n = 482) and fifty-five to sixty-four-year-olds ( n = 427). The age perceptions of the Finnish sample were further compared with those of a North-American sample with corresponding age groups ( n = 169, n = 187, n = 222) reported by Barak, Stern, and Gould (1988). Four age concepts used were chronological age, subjective age, ideal age, and disparity age. As expected on the basis of previous studies in age identification, no difference was found between Finnish males and females in terms of subjective age. Ideal age, however, differentiated Finnish males and females; the age ideal of females was significantly higher when compared with males with respective chronological ages. The comparison between Finnish and North-Eastern U.S. sample indicated that the latter group had more youthful age identity while the Finns expressed a greater acceptance of their present age status. This was seen in higher subjective and ideal ages of Finns when compared with their North-American counterparts. Socio-cultural differences in terms of meanings associated with chronological age and aging are discussed.