Social Exclusion of Older People: A Case Study of Rural South India

Abstract

Social exclusion of older people is a relevant issue in contemporary India. Under globalization in the present day world, elderly are not provided with car and support from the family and altogether feel socially excluded. Puducherry is not an exception. With a descriptive research design and a semi structured interview schedule, the study is carried on by taking 530 respondents from rural Puducherry. The paper has taken the practical application of theoretical approach of disengagement theory by taking rural older people of Puducherry in context. The finding of the study shows that in rural Puducherry older people are not provided with proper care and familial support with regard to emotion financial and physical support. They are even found to suffer from familial abuse, thereby being socially excluded. The institutional disengagement approach in the Puducherry context depicts the unique dimension of social exclusion of elderly by focusing on three aspects—older people participation and integration in families, the spatial segregation that the elderly face in their homes and inclusive care and support of elderly. This paper is relevant because it shows that social exclusion has many dimensions, where elderly form an important issue worth attention.