INFLUENCE OF SOCIO-CULTURAL VARIABLES ON COPING PATTERNS OF THE ELDERLY: A STUDY IN RURAL KALABURAGI OF KARNATAKA (original) (raw)

As pointed out by HelpAge India, a voluntary organization, presently majority (63%) of the elderly are living either slightly above (33%) or just below (30%) the poverty line. When we look at the aged women, good chunks (55%) of them are widows and most of them have no social support, whatsoever. A predominant proportion of the aged (80%) are living in rural areas and majority of the aged (73%) are illiterate and work in the unorganized sector with no retirement. The Indian elderly population ranks second in the world. The absolute number of aged population over 60 was about 76 million in the year 2001, and is expected to rise to 113 million in 2016 and 137 million by 2021 (Jaiprakash, 1993). Due to increase in family planning practices, there will be fewer children in the families. Coping with old age is psycho-social competence of the individuals measured in terms of coping patterns adopted. Human aging is a pattern of change in the structure and functioning of the body and adjustment of the person. In order to survive and flourish, one must deal effectively with a variety of physical and social demands. Human beings seem to react in certain way to problems in a given environment. The present paper is an outcome of an empirical study conducted in Kalaburagi district of Karnataka with 221 elderly adopting qualitative methodologies and quantitative techniques. The result reveals that majority of the elderly do not use the constructive and defensive approach of coping. In fact, most of the elderly face and encounter the problem and suffer a lot but never try to overcome. The inherent strengths of the elderly are not known to most of the elderly because mostly they are demoralized and lack confidence.

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