Older Malay Muslim Women in Brunei Darussalam: A Non-Western Conception of Aging

Abstract

This chapter examines older Muslim women from a postcolonial perspective and details the relevance of spirituality to aging in Brunei Darussalam. Ten Malay Muslim women aged 60–76 were interviewed in conjunction with photo-elicitation to gauge their everyday experiences of aging. Participant data indicate that aging among these women is largely viewed as a gift from God but that in practice embracing this gift is not always straightforward. The discussion considers the ways in which these women’s experience of aging is mediated by societal influences, such as Malay cultural and religious values, interdependence of familial organisation through expectations of filial piety, social rapport and networks. Recounting their experiences provides a nuanced appreciation of aging among Malay Muslim women that adds further texture to our understanding of aging in non-Western contexts.