This content analysis examined 128 senior center brochures and newsletters to determine how older people (those 65 years and older) were portrayed. Findings indicated that portrayals of older people in this medium that targets older people and their caretakers exclusively were overwhelmingly positive. Older people were portrayed favorably in terms of health status, personality descriptors related to level of happiness, interaction with others, mental state, as well as body image and overall evaluation. In several other categories such as energy level and activity level they were portrayed neutrally, and not a single category was dominated by negative portrayals. In fact, any negative portrayals accounted for less than 0.1% of all portrayals for any given category. Older females in particular, were portrayed in a more positive way than females in other analyses of media and advertising, which found them to be under represented or portrayed as unmotivated, ugly, or helpless. Females made up 64% of the overall representation compared to 36% for males, which closely resembles figures for participation at senior centers throughout the U.S. Females were also portrayed as more physically active and in better health than males. Those using a physical aid, either male or female were extremely under represented when compared to disability statistics, showing an overly positive portrayal of overall health status. The data supports other studies that demonstrate a more positive portrayal in media specifically targeting older people, and an overall trend of improving portrayals of older people across all mediums. Positive portrayals like those exhibited in senior center brochures and newsletters can greatly improve the self-image and overall quality of life of older people as well as help to change negative stereotypes of older people held by the general population.

Depuis la fin du XIXe siècle, des dynamiques sociales diverses – holocauste du caoutchouc, colonie pénale, missions catholiques, présence d’institutions gouvernementales et non gouvernementales — ont reconfiguré les formes d’organisation sociale des habitants du moyen fleuve Caquetá, dénommés Gens de centre. Nous nous arrêterons en particulier sur l’effet de ces changements sur leurs formes d’autonomie. Avec la reconnaissance par l’État, au cours des années 1980 et 1990, des peuples indigènes en tant que minorités ethniques, surgit une dichotomie entre ce qui est « traditionnel » autochtone, par opposition à ce qui est « moderne », étant donné les processus d’acculturation et inclusion de ces groupes dans la société majoritaire. Dans le présent travail, on établit une comparaison des figures « d’autorité traditionnelle » et de « leader », une différenciation faite dans la région du moyen fleuve Caquetá. Dans un premier temps, on donne un aperçu théorique de la figure de chef dans les terres basses de l’Amérique du Sud et sa validité et pertinence dans la situation du moyen fleuve Caquetá. Puis, l’on présente comment se forme l’autorité traditionnelle et ses champs d’action. On montre, de la même façon, les différents processus qui ont donné lieu à l’apparition de la figure de leader et les espaces où celle-ci évolue. La relation entre les deux figures est à la fois contradictoire et complémentaire. Finalement, on expose, avec des exemples concrets, les rapports entre les Gens de centre et les institutions gouvernementales et la remise en question de l’autonomie accordée aux groupes minoritaires dans la Constitution politique de la Colombie de 1991. / The inhabitants of the Middle Caquetá river, called People of the Center, have experienced a series of varying impacts since the late nineteenth century –rubber holocaust, Penal Colony, catholic missions, presence of governmental and non-governmental institutions. These reshaped their forms of social organization. In this particular case, their forms of “self-government”. With the recognition of the indigenous people as ethnic minorities in the 1980s and 1990s, a dichotomy arose between what is “traditional” in relation to the indigenous as opposed to the “modern”, given the processes of acculturation and inclusion of these groups into mainstream society. In this sense, this work compares the figures of “traditional authority” and “leader”, as differentiated in the context of the inhabitants of the Middle Caquetá River. The first part is a theoretical revision of the figure of the chief in the lowlands of South America and its validity and relevance in the context of the Middle Caquetá River. Next, the context of formation of a traditional authority and its contexts of action are presented. Likewise, the different processes leading to the emergence of the figure of leader and the spaces in which it operates are shown. The relationship between these two figures is at once contradictory and complementary. Finally, some contexts that illustrate the relationship between the People of the Center and governmental institutions are considered. This leads to a questioning of the autonomy of minority groups recognized in the Colombian Political Constitution of 1991. / Los pobladores del medio río Caquetá, denominados Gente de Centro, vivieron desde finales del siglo XIX diferentes dinámicas –holocausto cauchero, Colonia Penal, misiones católicas, presencia de instituciones gubernamentales y no gubernamentales- que reconfiguraron sus formas de organización social; para este caso particular, sus formas de “gobierno propio”. Con el reconocimiento de los pueblos indígenas como minorías étnicas entre las décadas de 1980 y 1990 por parte del Estado colombiano, se plantea una dicotomía entre lo que es “tradicional” en relación a lo indígena, por oposición a lo “moderno”, dados los procesos de aculturación e inclusión de estos grupos a la sociedad mayoritaria. En este sentido el presente trabajo muestra de manera comparativa las figuras de “autoridad tradicional” y “líder”, diferenciación que se hace en la región del medio río Caquetá. En un primer momento se hace una revisión teórica de la figura del jefe en las tierras bajas de Suramérica y su vigencia y pertinencia en el contexto del medio río Caquetá. Acto seguido, se presenta el contexto de formación de una autoridad tradicional y sus contextos de acción. De la misma manera, se muestran los diferentes procesos que llevaron a la aparición de la figura de líder y los espacios donde se desenvuelve. La relación entre estas dos figuras es a la vez contradictoria y complementaria. Finalmente, se exponen algunos contextos donde se muestra la relación entre la Gente de Centro y las instituciones gubernamentales, contextos donde se pone en cuestión la autonomía reconocida para los grupos minoritarios, en la Constitución Política Colombiana de 1991.