The relation between cultural capital and quality of life in the elderly: Malatya case

Along with industrialization and modernization, social, cultural, economic and health developments have led to an increase in the average life expectancy when the age of 60 is reached in our country, as in the rest of the world, and therefore the proportion of the elderly population in the total population. Although this rate of increase is not at a level to pose a social problem today, it is thought that the continuing increase in the elderly population will cause significant social problems in the near future. This reveals old age as an important social phenomenon that needs to be studied because of the social problems it produces. One of the approaches developed to solve the problems that occur with aging is research to increase the adaptation of the individual to the existing changes due to aging. Based on Bourdieu's sociological approach, this study aims to examine the contribution of cultural capital, especially acquired through education, on the individual's adaptability and quality of life, against the change caused by aging. Quantitative method was used in the research. As a method, document review, questionnaire, cultural capital and quality of life scales were used. When the data are analyzed, there are significant differences between cultural capital and gender, educational status and economic level. It has been determined that the level of cultural capital is higher in men than in women, and there is a direct proportional relationship with the increase in cultural capital and income level with the increase in education level. When the difference between gender (sensory-functions-gender), education and income level and quality of life is examined, it is seen that there is a significant difference between them. According to these results, the economic levels of elderly individuals affect their quality of life. When the analyzes of the research model were examined, it was determined that there was a significant effect between cultural capital and quality of life. Keywords: Aging, Aging, Sociology of Aging, Cultural Capital, Quality of Life, Active Aging