title: Cross-cultural understandings of festival food-related activities for older women in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Eastern Kentucky, USA and Auckland, New Zealand.
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.
authors: AUT University, Auckland, New Zealand. vwright@aut.ac.nz
authors: Valerie A
authors: VA
authors: Wright-St Clair
authors: Doris
authors: D
authors: Pierce
authors: Wannipa
authors: W
authors: Bunrayong
authors: Phuanjai
authors: P
authors: Rattakorn
authors: Soisuda
authors: S
authors: Vittayakorn
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Shordike
authors: Clare
authors: C
authors: Hocking
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D005502:Food; D006693:Holidays; D006801:Humans; D007629:Kentucky; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D013785:Thailand
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