The Crone and the Web: Self-image and coping with loneliness among senior pagan women in social networks (Originally in Hebrew) By Hili Ratzon.
Presented at the Israeli Society for History & Philosophy of Science Fourteenth Annual Conference, Bloomfield Science Museum Jerusalem on December 2013.
This lecture will focus on the use of social networks among senior Pagan women, as a tool to prevent loneliness and improve their self esteem. In the Wiccan religion, the goddess appears in three aspects, each of which is the embodiment of different periods in life: The Maiden, The Mother and The Crone. In the aspect of the goddess as a crone, she is seen as representing wisdom. The passage into the elderly age is marked with rites of passage for seniors, which include Pagan women celebrating their passage into an age of wisdom and freedom.
The existence of social networks allows Pagans at this age to create a unique group, which makes it possible for them to meet others like themselves from different countries and discuss the place of old age in their religious lives as well as the changes they go through.
Often, seniors feel lonely because of changes in the social structure of their families and also as retirement from their professional lives causes a lack of social activities (Aylaz et al, 2012). Elders also tend to suffer from low self-esteem, due to common media stereotypes about aged adults, in which they are shown in a mocking and disrespectful way (Sijuwade, 2009). Social networks allow people over the age of fifty to strengthen social ties with their families and close friends and assist them to create new relationships (David et al, 2010). In addition, seniors use religion as a mean to stay active, which helps them to find interest in life and gain a higher sense of self-worth (Krause & Hayward, 2013). In the Wiccan religion these feelings are expressed through rites of passage into elderly, called Croning, which celebrate this transition as a transition to another phase in life, associated with years of accumulated wisdom and achievements attained by the woman in her life (Manning, 2012) .
The research method that was used in this study was content analysis of the discussions of the group “Crones and Elders” in the social network WiccanTogether. The group consist about 271 members. Women are the majority of the group, their age range is 24-72, and most of them live in the United States.
According to the findings of this study, the participants in the group developed various strategies to cope with the aging process such as pursuing pagan leisure activities. According to the conclusions of this study, the group serves as a place where the seniors can discuss issues related to their religion and age. The group afforded creation of friendships, served as a tool for discussing religious dilemmas and gave its participants a sense of belongings and empathy.
The existence of social networks allows Pagans at this age to create a unique group, which makes it possible for them to meet others like themselves from different countries and discuss the place of old age in their religious lives as well as the changes they go through.
Often, seniors feel lonely because of changes in the social structure of their families and also as retirement from their professional lives causes a lack of social activities (Aylaz et al, 2012). Elders also tend to suffer from low self-esteem, due to common media stereotypes about aged adults, in which they are shown in a mocking and disrespectful way (Sijuwade, 2009). Social networks allow people over the age of fifty to strengthen social ties with their families and close friends and assist them to create new relationships (David et al, 2010). In addition, seniors use religion as a mean to stay active, which helps them to find interest in life and gain a higher sense of self-worth (Krause & Hayward, 2013). In the Wiccan religion these feelings are expressed through rites of passage into elderly, called Croning, which celebrate this transition as a transition to another phase in life, associated with years of accumulated wisdom and achievements attained by the woman in her life (Manning, 2012) .
The research method that was used in this study was content analysis of the discussions of the group “Crones and Elders” in the social network WiccanTogether. The group consist about 271 members. Women are the majority of the group, their age range is 24-72, and most of them live in the United States.
According to the findings of this study, the participants in the group developed various strategies to cope with the aging process such as pursuing pagan leisure activities. According to the conclusions of this study, the group serves as a place where the seniors can discuss issues related to their religion and age. The group afforded creation of friendships, served as a tool for discussing religious dilemmas and gave its participants a sense of belongings and empathy.
