Work, aging and dependency in a Sherpa population in Nepal

This paper suggests a conceptual framework for the cross-cultural study of dependency in order to encourage and facilitate data-based cross-cultural comparisons. It offers an etic, operational definition encompassing biological, activity and economic components. It also emphasizes that the emic definition is crucial for understanding a situation. The utility of distinguishing several components of an etic definition of dependency and distinguishing etic from emic definitions is illustrated using the examples of Sherpas in Helambu, Nepal. From the etic viewpoint, the Sherpas are apparently healthy, economically productive and physically active and therefore lie near the independent end of the dependency continuum. The recent emigration of many young adults has produced a demographic situation where few elderly can achieve their expectation of growing old while sharing their own households with their youngest son and his family. Although family life is valued and most elderly Sherpas have other offspring and other relatives in the village, the majority of elderly Sherpa live alone and express dissatisfaction at doing so. From their standpoint, reliance upon someone other than the youngest son for lodging or food is considered prejoratively and as dependency. Their emic definition of dependency is different from the Western definition and both differ from what we have referred to as etic dependency.