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Silence or Voice? Agency Freedom among Elderly Women Living in Extended Families in Urban India

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  • Ildikó Asztalos Morell

    (Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), 75007 Uppsala, Sweden
    School of Health, Care and Welfare, Mälardalen University, 72123 Västerås, Sweden)

  • Santa De

    (College of Nursing, Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University (BVDU), Pune 411043, India)

  • Pravina Mahadalkar

    (College of Nursing, Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University (BVDU), Pune 411043, India)

  • Carl Johansson

    (School of Health, Care and Welfare, Mälardalen University, 72123 Västerås, Sweden)

  • Lena-Karin Gustafsson

    (School of Health, Care and Welfare, Mälardalen University, 72123 Västerås, Sweden)

Abstract

The preferential form of living for the elderly in India is within the extended family. India is undergoing rapid economic development, an increase in mobility, and changes in gender norms due to an increase in women’s labour force participation, which places challenges on traditional intergenerational relationships. Ageing and the well-being of the elderly is a rising concern, especially considering that their proportion of the population is expected to grow rapidly in coming decades. There is a lack of universal state provision for the elderly’s basic needs, which is especially profound for elderly women, since most do not have an independent income. This leaves the elderly dependent upon the benevolence of their adult children’s families or other relatives. This paper explores, with help of narrative analysis and critical contributions from capability theory, elderly women’s agency freedoms and how this can be contextualised with their varying capability sets. With help of Spivak’s notion of the silent subaltern, the paper anchors elderly women’s abilities to voice to their agency freedom. The master narrative of the silent supportive wife and side-lined mother-in-law as well as three counter-narratives explore alternative agencies taken by elderly women.

Suggested Citation

  • Ildikó Asztalos Morell & Santa De & Pravina Mahadalkar & Carl Johansson & Lena-Karin Gustafsson, 2020. "Silence or Voice? Agency Freedom among Elderly Women Living in Extended Families in Urban India," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-18, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:23:p:8779-:d:451461
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ingrid Robeyns, 2005. "The Capability Approach: a theoretical survey," Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(1), pages 93-117.
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    Cited by:

    1. Cristina Gagliardi & Giovanni Lamura, 2021. "Special Issue on “Advances in Socio-Economic Research on Ageing”," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-6, June.

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