Aged in India: socio demographic dimensions
- New Delhi Ashish publishing House 1989
- 349p.
Old age is a culturally relative term which varies with life expectancy at birth for the general population as well as proportion of aged population in a society. Ageing may be viewed as a biological process through which an organism is modifed from birth to death. Aging can also be viewed as a crucial index of societal or civilization maturity. In India the population in 60 + age group is growing at a much faster rate than the people in the other age groups. During 1951-81, the number of the aged persons, has doubled. Although the dynamics of old age are primarily physiological they are conditioned by the social customs, norms, culture and value system to a considerable extent. The far reaching and rapid changes of the modern society have profoundly affected the position of the old people and their ability to deal with their own problems. The transition form the role of a bread winner to a dependent causes problems among the aged in our country. The isolation of old people within their family sometimes constitutes a source of frustration for many aged persons. In this book, various dimensions of ageing are criti- cally examined by eminent demographers, sociologists, doctors, psychologists working on aged in different institutes of the country. This book provides guidelines for develop- ing multidisciplinary approach towards understanding the problems of aged population of the country.