How children perceive seniors

Abstract In the theoretical part of the thesis, there are explained the basic terms: old-age, senior, infancy, children and age, and later are described psychopathological problems, both physical and psychological. The author aims to focus on the terms of loss and decline, which are usually joined with the old-age. Nevertheless, the emphasis is put on the fact that old-age is not an illness but it is important to adapt to it, eventhough it is a period of serious losses. Later in the theoretical part of this work, the author describes the former and current approach of the society to the old-age, disadvantage of the retired people, their discrimination in the mass media and the consequential fear of the old-age. In the chapter called ``the perception of seniors by their family,`` there are explained the terms nuclear and extended family and the difference in the family´s approach to seniors in the past and nowadays. Then, there are described problems related to the current family, e.g. the lack of physical contact with elder people and the relationship between children and seniors. The chapter ``the relationship between children and grandparents`` deals first with the positive contribution, which is evident in the sufficiency of time, the transfer of traditions, the intervention of the historical background and gained experience, and second also with the negative influence such as boycotting of the parental authority, untrue stylization or the total lack of interest in grandchildren. The chapter ``children´s drawing`` was included in the work because it was later used in the practical part. Children´s drawing makes it easier to express the child´s feelings and their relations to their environment. The author also mentioned other available materials and researches about the same or similar topic. In the practical part, the author researched the artistic expression and verbalisation of the children´ s relationship with seniors. In total, there were interviewed twenty-nine pupils who attend the second and the third class of primary school. Children´s drawings and their answers were examined in a non-standardized questionnaire. The people in the drawings are mostly set into some environment, which is mainly nature. The seniors visible in the drawings are usually passive and they are illustrated with some tipical attributes such as a cane. The questionnaire included open, close and also spectrum questions. The answers are worked up in graphic charts in the appendix no. 2