Understanding the everyday processes of aging in urban Delhi

Gerontological literature in India has primarily focused on the macro processes of aging. Studies on population aging have examined themes such as health outcomes, financial arrangements and alternate caregiving arrangements in different parts of India. Though these studies have highlighted important issues surrounding aging, nonetheless the more micro perspectives such as the everyday processes of aging have remained under explored in India. In fact, studies on perceptions of aging have indicated that generally older Indians associate aging with disengagement, withdrawal and death. While studies on older Indians have projected them as detached and accepting decline, nonetheless this sort of a generalization is not true for all older Indians. Drawing from in-depth qualitative interviews and detailed narratives this study examines the lived experiences of aging in urban Delhi, India to understand the complex processes of growing old. Findings from the study suggest that older adults in urban Delhi are developing their own “selves” to determine their process of aging. Adopting a socio-gerontological lens and building on the Successful Aging model and the Dramaturgical Theory this study will demonstrate how the experience of aging and intergenerational relationships are changing in urban settings. Finally the study will also indicate how gender dynamics are shaped in later ages among older Indians in the urban context.