Gendered Understanding of Disability and Aging

In its early conventional sense, disability was largely understood in bio-medical model which subsequently was supplemented with the psycho-social underpinnings of disability. In recent times, the social identities in terms of race, religion, class, caste, and gender add other dimensions to the social science discourse on disability studies. The chapter attempts to inform through the dimensions of age and aging in relation to the disability discourse, drawing from ethnographic cases over a period of research in North India. In the process, this chapter offers an analysis of disability and aging with focusing on the lack of access to social and familial resources for people with disability who are old and people who acquire any kind of disability in their old age. This chapter examines uncertainties experienced by the older disabled and the disabled older persons in relation to the extent of family ties and other social resources in both the rural and urban context.

Rice Plus and Family Solidarity

Widows find their lives suddenly upended when they lose their husband. Widowhood is particularly hard in rural areas, where widows are often the poorest of the poor. This study looks at the economic practices of a sample of rural widows in Cambodia who supported their households with a “rice plus” strategy. They relied on rice grown on their own land supplemented by microenterprises that raised cash to fill the hunger gap. Children's labor and cooperation were essential to maintaining the widowed household. A widow with many children managed better than a widow with few or no children. Most widows with daughters were better off than widows with sons who moved away after marriage. Cambodian practices such as gender role flexibility and women's economic participation helped widows cope after their husband's death, while the devaluation of women's labor made life harder.

Gender Dimensions of Aging Among Indigenous People

Researchers view older people as a homogenous group where age is a leveler of characteristics. But factors such as gender, socio-economic background, family relationships and support, living situation, physical condition, cultural practices, etc. severely influence how a person will enjoy their later life. In Khasi Indigenous community women enjoy higher status than their counterparts. Due to a strong matriarchical family system, women become the owner of property inherently and husbands stay in wives' houses. This empowers women economically and family members show their loyalty to the head of the family who is a woman. During old age, women are well cared for by family members, and elderly males are sometimes neglected, which is totally opposite to the majority people of Bangladesh. Based on an ethnographic study, this chapter explains how customs work in the creation of a special later life experience among elderly women. It also explains the challenges faced by Khasi elderly people in getting access to modern medical facilities and other government supports as citizen of Bangladesh.

Religiosity and Attitude in the Face of Death in Brazilian Elderly

This chapter investigated possible links between religious motivations, attitudes, and coping in the face of death in Brazil. The participants included 478 people aged between 41 and 100 years, most of them women (77.82%). It employed the religious orientation scale (31 items), religious coping scale (33 items), and scale of attitudes in the face of death (46 items). Data were analyzed by means Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (Pearson), analysis of variance (ANOVA), exploratory factor analysis and internal consistency analysis (Cronbach's alpha). The overall survey results are presented in two large blocks. The first describes the correlations between the factors of religious coping, religious orientation, and attitudes in the face of death. The second presents the relationship between elderly's socio-biographical characteristics (age, income, education, gender, religion, and marital status), guidance and religious coping factors, and attitudes in the face of death. Finally, the authors discuss the results and their implications for the elderly.

The Interplay of Biological and Socio Environmental Factors in Aging and Disorders in Women

Aging is a biological, social, and environmental phenomenon characterized by progressive decline in all physiological functions. Age depends upon genes, social and environmental influences, and lifestyle. Although aging occurs at varying rates, it takes greater toll on gender. Beyond multiple social inequalities, women experience proportionately higher rates of chronic illness, disability, and deterioration in the body appearance leading to depression, decreased socialization resulting in sleep disorders. Therefore, onset of sleep and health disorders with aging in women were studied in variable cross sections of society with variable social structures and lifestyles. The case studies involved the field work and data collection from old age homes and individuals. The analysis of the interplay of biological, social, and environmental factors influencing sleep disorders in aging women done through such studies will help in designing policies and measures for improving economic level, social support, functional ability, psychosocial stress, loneliness, depression, and health services.

Self-Esteem During the Ageing Process

In this chapter, the author focuses on the phase in human life that starts with the ending of the reproductive phase in one's life, usually referred to as the midlife crisis. The author especially focuses on self-esteem. He first studies the size of the problem. Then he uses Maslow's hierarchy of needs to understand the demotion process associated with the midlife crisis. Then he uses Hofstede's cultural model to understand this phase in a cultural context. Finally, the author discusses modern ICT development in general, and especially the global village created by the internet.

Sustainable Development Plan for Aging World Population

The number of older persons has increased substantially in recent years in most countries and regions, and that growth is projected to accelerate in the coming decades. This is poised to become one of the most significant social transformations of the twenty-first century, with implications for nearly all sectors of society, including labor and financial markets, the demand for goods and services, such as housing, transportation, and social protection, as well as family structures and intergenerational ties. Preparing for the economic and social shifts associated with an aging population is thus essential to ensure progress in development, including towards the achievement of the goals outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. There is urgent need to consider older persons in development planning, emphasizing that older persons should be able to participate in and benefit equitably from the fruits of development to advance their health and wellbeing, and that societies should provide enabling environments for them to do so.

Quality of Life and Aging of Women

Aging is the process of becoming older. It represents the accumulation of changes in a human being over time, encompassing physical, psychological, and social changes. Both men and women experience some sexual changes with age, but they experience aging differently. For women, it's commonly known as menopause, starting around in the age of 50. For men, aging is more gradual, with testosterone levels declining slowly over time. Unlike menopause, which brings fertility to an end, men can still reproduce and create sperm well into old age. The effects of aging on social relations, existence, and identity are more alarming and often dreadful. Despite the influence of the aging process on women's lives, very few feminist insights analyzed the interconnectedness of gender and aging. Hence, the impact of aging on gender inequalities requires more serious discussions and analysis. Only through these efforts can new visions of the plight and contributions of older women grow and policies be developed to remedy the problems.

That's My Space

Age is critical as a resource in a theatrical career, for it offers the energy and looks necessary for drawing audiences and attracting financial supporters to sustain one's career and socio-economic survival. The discussion in this chapter aims at establishing the experiential differences of male and female theatre performers concerning the effects of the aging process on their theatrical careers. It concentrates on Kampala-based theatre performers as respondents. The discussion emphasizes “the process” of aging, in other words, the addition of years to one's life and to his or her career, rather than the state of being “old.” Using Amartya Sen's conceptualization of development, the chapter explores how aging in some ways opens up socio-economic opportunities for some Ugandan theatre performers and yet for others it brings about greater constraints to their socio-economic survival in the industry. Data was collected through in-depth interviews with five male and five female respondents. It reflected that in general aging is more constraining than rewarding to a theatrical career. Female more than male theatre performers feel the brunt of its negative effect because of existing gendered stereotypes and perceptions tainted with gender discrimination.

Impact of Widowhood and Disability Among Elderly

Aging is a natural phenomenon in which widowhood and disability are the major characteristics of concern. The main objective of the chapter is to sift the relationship between widowhood and disability by gender. It examines the factors affecting female elderly with the disability and measures both subjective and objective disabilities. This study is evidenced from the Kerala Ageing Survey (KAS), 2013, with a sample of 7668 elderly in which 58% are females. Three major physical disabilities, namely vision, hearing, and walking, and mental disabilities, such as cognitive impairment and depression, are to be analyzed through the data. Before that, disability trends and prevalence of both India and Kerala by age and sex are closely examined through census figures. It is revealed that elderly women are at risk of many factors compared to their male counterparts. They are vulnerable to multiple disabilities. The prevalence of disability is more among elderly females after the age of 70. The main physical problem of elderly is vision followed by movement and hearing impairment.