Social Exclusion of Old Aged: A Sociological Study

Socially ageing refers to the change in roles and social habits of individuals with respect to other members of the society. The rapid increase in population ageing in India has contributed to multiple problems for the old aged. The weakening of social support and breaking of joint family system, in recent years have significantly contributed to the feeling of insecurity and subjection amongst the aged, particularly the aged women. Along with this, socio-economic changes often translate this socially excluded group of the aged into poorer levels of health and life conditions. The present study attempts to examine the social exclusion amongst the old aged from the social and political dimension in the Jhansi district of Uttar Pradesh, India. The data for the current study has been collected from a survey conducted in eight wards of Jhansi. The Sample consisted of 120 respondents, aged 60 and above. The findings of the data revealed that there were majority (especially women) of the old aged people who were facing social exclusion from these two dimensions. The processes of social exclusion have severely affected the lives and conditions of these old aged. The authors found that the economic dependency, lack of awareness, adjustment problems and low health are some of the main factors responsible for the social exclusion of the old aged.