Aging & Social Change: Ninth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

This paper discusses the relationship between recreation and older people. It focuses on traditional African recreational forms within the context of their cultural structure, participation, and potentials for enhancing the quality of life for older people with respect to Nigeria. The study using documentary sources and observation views historic African recreation forms, adopted by families as essential to the quality of life for older people in society. The study identifies and chronicles a number of recreational forms enjoyed by preceding older people in Nigerian society. Furthermore, the social and cultural implication of aging from a Nigerian context is specifically exposed. Perspectives are proclaimed here to contextualize identified Nigerian domestic recreational forms for aged people. In concluding the paper, reinvention of historic home recreation forms, and research to essentially integrating Nigerian recreational forms into models of enhancing the quality of life for the older people is suggested.