Life Experiences of Elderly Womens Capabilities

Abstract

Along with demographic dividends, demographic transition has also brought the newlinecrucial issue of feminization of aging. According to the UNPFA (2012), the newlinepercentage of widows (59%) is high among elderly women. They face multiple newlinelayers of discrimination of being old, being women, and being poor (WHO 1999). newlineThey are also imposed with multi-dimensional resistance in their social location newlineand lack gender sensitive social securities. newlineAccording to the situation analysis report (2011) by Ministry of Statistics and newlineProgramme Implementation, the old-age dependency ratio in more for women newlinecompared to men. The report reveals that 80 % of elderly women are economically newlinedependent on either on their spouse, children, grandchildren and other nonrelations newlineas well. newlineThe researcher disagrees with the existing notion of considering elderly women as newline vulnerable in their old age. Vulnerability is manufactured by the patriarchal newlinesocial thought processes. The researcher believes that itand#8223;s the social position of the newlinewomen which influences the life experiences in old age. In order to capture this newlinereality, the capability approach is used as it considers each individual and their newlinesocial location as equal player in achieving well-being. newlineThe Capability Approach (1980) was put forth by Nobel laureate, economist and newlinephilosopher, Amartya Sen. His conceptualization of capability approach was newlineinfluenced by ideas of distribution of resources and human furnishings. He newlinecriticized the existing econometrics models and its relationship in measuring newlinedevelopment. Prof. Sen proposed that individualand#8223;s well-being should be evaluated newlinethrough beings and doing and not on their means . He asserts that evaluation newlinemust consider both functioningand#8223; and effective freedom, i.e capabilityand#8223; (1979). newlinevi newlineThe researcher has used the gender sensitive capabilities proposed by Ingrid newlineRobyns to capture capability and functioning of elderly Women in the spaces of newlinehealth, work, social relations and social environment. newlineHermeneutic phenomenology is the research methodology used by the researcher newlineto understand how elderly women are able to explain, interpret and reflect about newlinetheir choices and freedom in life. In this study, experiences are captured at two newlinelevels. At level one, the elderly womenand#8223;s own interpretation of the experience is newlinecaptured. In the next level, their interpretation is understood from their own sociocultural- newlinehistorical and economical contexts. newlineThe results reveal that though elderly women come from different social context, newlinethey tend to have similar meaning in terms of their freedom. For instance, elderly newlinewomen in the study have highlighted issue like accessibility for health careand#8223;, newline restand#8223;, social relationsand#8223; and family supportand#8223; as key to their enhancement and newlineachievement of capabilities. newlineThis displays that there is process of change happening with respect to family, and newlinesociety in general in which elderly women are living. The emerging themes also newlinereflect the view that the social arrangement and patriarchal influences affect newlinewomenand#8223;s lives irrespective of their social positions. In this study, it was found that newlineirrespective of their social position, women were dependent on male members, newlinefirstly the father, then husband, then children. newlineFrom this study, it is also evident that elderly women with financially secured newlineposition also have to depend on their family member for support in their old age. newlineThis indicates that elderly womenand#8223;s struggle is because of the practice of newlinepatriarchal norms and existing value system that prevents them to have selfconfidence newlineand built their own capacities and potential. newlinevii newlineThe study also has opened doors for further in-depth, quantitative, and cross newlinecultural investigations on elderly womenand#8223;s capabilities across different states in newlineIndia, and across the globe, utilizing Amartya Senand#8223;s capability approach, Ingrid newlineRobynsand#8223; gender sensitive capability framework and phenomenological research newlinemethodology. newline