Jyotsna M. Kalavar

Aging of Indian Women in India: The Experience of Older Women in Formal Care Homes

The feminization of aging is a process that has begun in India but is not occurring uniformly throughout India. Older women are more likely to be widowed, poor, and suffer vulnerability to adverse outcomes like poor health. With the changing social landscape of India, middle-income older women are increasingly opting for ‘pay and stay homes’, an emerging type of old age home in India. Majority of the 97 women residents of ‘pay and stay’ homes reported being widowed (68%), and 25% were childless. Childlessness and widowhood were important considerations in the decision to relocate to an old age home. Older women reported higher degrees of psychological closeness and contact with daughters than sons, and the overall social network size was small. High prevalence of diabetes rates among older women carries implications for potential functional disability. Strong advocacy measures for empowering older women in India should be a priority policy directive.

Elder Abuse in India: Extrapolating From the Experiences of Seniors in India's “Pay And Stay” Homes

Primary research on the issue of elder abuse and neglect in India is limited due to tremendous reluctance to discuss intergenerational conflicts. Nevertheless, researchers are beginning to identify collective voices of perceptions of abuse and neglect that are more rampant than individuals may directly admit. In this study of senior residents living in Indias “pay and stay” homes, 150 individuals were interviewed in order to understand their relocation experience. Results suggest that challenges in interpersonal family relationships, conflicts in values and perceptions, particularly with regard to neglect and abandonment, are evident in descriptions of the relocation experience.

Intergenerational Differences in Perceptions of Heritage Tourism Among the Maasai of Tanzania

Besides wildlife tourism in the African savannah, cultural heritage tourism (sometimes known only as heritage tourism) is a big draw in Tanzania. In order to attract cultural tourism dollars, Maasai communities have established cultural bomas, typically pseudo Maasai villages where they display cultural performances and crafts before tourists. Such cultural contact has resulted in the growing influence of globalization that challenges traditional ways. The economic, social and environmental impact of heritage tourism on intergenerational relationships and community well-being has not been examined among the Maasai people. In this study, focus groups were conducted with different age-groups of Maasai people residing in Esilalei and Oltukai villages. Results suggest that for the Maasai, heritage tourism appears to be a double-edged sword. While tourism results in some trickled down economic benefits for the Maasai community, economic change appears to have created a social distance between generations.

DEVELOPING EXCELLENCE IN INDIGENOUSLY-INFORMED RESEARCH Collaboration between African communities and the academy

This article outlines a community-based participatory research strategy called Community Driven Development (CDD). This approach strives for excellence in bridging the gap between academic departments and rural communities by shifting the culture of the academy toward greater community engagement. Taking rural Tanzania as a case study, researchers from Pennsylvania State University and Tumaini University, as well as residents of Leguruki and Chekereni, work together to define and conduct research to improve wellbeing and promote sustainability of indigenous communities while employing methodologies that recognize communities as equal partners. In this collaboration, scholars entered into a dialogue with rural community residents to exchange ideas about pertinent local beliefs and values, traditional practices, and folk knowledge, and to better understand how residents apply their knowledge systems to address the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and policies affecting their wellbeing.

Gerotranscendence and Life Satisfaction: Examining Age Differences at the Maha Kumbha Mela

This study applies scholarship on gerotranscendence and life satisfaction to an under-investigated context, mass pilgrimage sites. It focuses on the Maha Kumbha Mela 2013 Hindu pilgrimage, which took place in Allahabad, India. Drawing on a sample of 200 participants, this study examines the relationship between age, gerotranscendence, and life satisfaction. Using cross-sectional data, the findings show a positive correlation between age and gerotranscendence. Significant age differences in gerotranscendence scores, especially on the cosmic and solitude dimensions, are apparent. However, the relationship between gerotranscendence and life satisfaction was not statistically significant. Implications for the construct of gerotranscendence within Hinduism are discussed.