Another Country Mary Pipher Summary

Introduction

1. Why does Mary Pipher describe “old age” as “another country?” what does she mean exactly? Pg. 4

Mary Pipher describes old age as another country because being old is like living in another country where you really do not have communication, you are isolated and disconnected with your family and the world. Many of the old age people feel misunderstood and loneliness and this is how it is if you were living in another country.

2. According to Mary Pipher, encouraging the old and the young to interact and to communicate is essential to the survival of the family. Why? Pg. 10

Mary Pipher says that encouraging the old and the young to interact and to communicate is essential to the survival of the family because she thinks together we can create culture in which it is easier to do the right thing, as we care for our parents, we teach our children to care for us. As we see our parents age we learn to age with courage and dignity. She also says “ if the years are handled well, the old and the young can help each other grow.

Chapter 1

4. Why does Mary Pipher have a problem with physical “ age segregation?” what does this component of our culture cost families? Pg. 18
She gives an example of age segregation , “if ten fourteen years old are grouped together they will fight with one another. They will form a “lord of the flies” culture with its competitiveness, social anxiety and meaness. But if ten people aged two to eighty are grouped together they will fall into a natural age hierarchy that nurtures and teaches all of them. She also says for our own mental and societal health we need to reconnect the age groups. The old are segregated not only physically but also by their