Abstract
This paper attempts to investigate the dwindling status of older adults within family settings in Kashmir, specifically focusing on their non-involvement in decision-making within the household. It argues that various socio-economic changes within society have influenced the traditional values and attitudes leading to shifts in the perception and treatment of older adults within families. These shifts have not just altered their traditional standing, but have also excluded them from the significant decision making of the families. The societal transformation brought about by the forces of modernization and industrialization has created an environment of individualism and opportunism among the young leading to alteration in the traditional support system for the older adults. As a result, older adults find themselves excluded and not consulted in significant decisions taken at home. Their opinions and insights in the affairs of the family are often overlooked and disregarded. This is a qualitative study, based on 20 oral narratives conducted over time, with older adults experiencing non-involvement in family affairs. The findings of the study revealed that older adults have experienced a substantial decline in their participation in intrafamilial decision making within the household. Such decline is attributed to the socio-cultural changes in various aspects of society.
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Wani, A.M., Shafi, A. & Jahangir, M.S. Voices Unheard: Navigating the Disempowerment of Older Adults in Family Dynamics in Kashmir (India). Population Ageing (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12062-024-09457-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12062-024-09457-6