A SYNOPSIS ON CHANGING PATTERNS OF

INTERGERATIONAL RELATIONSHIP OF ELDERLY

GRANSPRATENTS :- A PROPOSAL FOR NATIONAL LEVEL
SEMINAR OF U.G.C. ON BEHALF OF DEPT. OF SOCIOLOGY,
CHANDBALI COLLEGE,CHANDBALI.

Submitted by

Sudhansu Sekhar Mohanty,

Sr. Lecturer in Sociology,

Chandbali College,Chandbali

Bhadrak-756133

One of the spectacular phenomena in the contemporary

scenario that arrests out attention is the ageing of population all
over the world. India, by no means, is an exception to this world
wide demographic transition as a consequence of which it has
been experiencing an exponential growth in the numbers and
percentage of grandparents over the years. India is the second
largest county in the world with 72 million elderly persons above
60 years of age as of 2001 compared to China’s 172 millions. It
has been projected that India’s graying population is likely to
increase from the current level of 7% to nearly 9% by 2016 and
21% by 2050. This means the profound change in the nature of
age structure of Indian population can be best encapsulated by
the growth in the number of elderly grandparents. The ageing
population trend, in conjunction with social economic and cultural
changes in the; matrics of Indian society ushering in new
concerns about changing values, living arrangements, lifestyles
and role relationships of elderly grand-parents.

There is world-wide thrust to bring social integration

between the old and young and thereby to construct ‘a society for
all ages.’ The relationship between young and old was
harmonious in the past. The elderly parents and grand parents
were respected and comfortable due to the existence of values
like non-materialistic approach, morality and impersonal thinking.
The social institutions like joint family, kinship, caste group ,
religion, village panchayat and traditional ethos have made the
younger generations to have an unquestionable regard towards
the grand parents. Thus better relationship between the grand
parents and grand children promoted greater life satisfaction
among them.

The increasing process of industrialization, modernization,

urbaniszation and globalization with all its attendants growing
individualism, vulgar materialism and extreme selfishness have
cast a negative impact on the relationships between the three
generations. Therefore, it has become imperative to put emphasis
on inter-generational relationship in the contemporary family
structures.

Statement of the Problem.

It is often said that in old age, shrinkage of roles bring about

a chain of deteriorative changes in the life style of people.
However, grey-years does bless people with a very significant and
satisfying role of grand parents. Becoming grand parents is one of
the most cherished moments of an elderly person. With the
conventional saying that as interest is more appealing than the
actual amount, so are the grand children dearer for grand parents
than their offspring”.

In traditional joint family system there were as many as

three generations: the oldest members also live with siblings and
their children and grand children together in the same dwelling,
cook and eat together, and share the responsibility and managing
the common holdings and business, which is partially in nature,
provided special status to elderly people as the karta (manager of
household afaires) the eldest one, usually grant parents occupy
the highest status and control the whole administration of the
scared family tradition and prestige. Grandparents treated as
repositories of experienced and wisdom and the watch dogs of
traditions and customosn. The grandparents also layed the role of
historical providing information about cultural and familiar past;
that of the role model which grandchildren could follow; of a
mentor who could the guide for young with their vunerable
experiences and a nurturant to care for the kin in crisis. Moreover,
grand parents also played the role of playmates by playing games
and sharing mutual interest with their grand children, that of a
magical role of a wizard by way of mesaerizing the grand children
and finally rhe role of a hero by providing consistent supports to
grand children. In fact, grand parents provide maturity
knowledge, stability and unconditional love to the lives of their
grand children. At the same time, the grand children reciprocate
with love, energy, optimism, laughter, activity, youthfulness and
meaning to the lives of grand parents. However, in modern time,
social landscape has undergone a sea change due to factors such
as commercialization, industrialization and urbanization affecting
the traditional values like interdependence, scooperation and self-
sacrifice. Corresponding with the changes in family system,
several salient roles of gransparents have been eroded. The
attitude of younger generation towards the elderly changes with
the passive times. The change of attitude towars parents and
grandparents and children and grandchildren some times is
attributed to the decline of authority which is due to the increased
standard of living with the passage of time. Grandparenting as a
topic of research has increasingly gained attention since the
1980s. beginning with the seminal workof Bengston and
Roberstons granparenthood [1980]; scholarly focus on this
subject has gained a foothold in gerontology and family studies.

Rationale and significance

Demographers remind us of the reality that the population in

general is living longer resulting in increasing number of families
with a grandparent generation. If grandparents are to be
considered as helpers to children and youth into the next
millennium it is useful to look into the roles and relationship of
grandparents from sociological angle of vision.

In view of the strategic role of grandparents in the family setup

and a redical shift in their status and role in the contemporary
changed social landscape of indian society. It is felt necessary to
focus attention of their phenon of intergereational relationship
connecting grandparents with grandchildren and provide
recognition to the grandparents with the recognition they
deserve. Until recently gransprent hood has been a neglected
area of study. Very little work has been done by the sociologists
relating to intergereational relationship and granparenthood in
india in general and Odisha in particular in order to feel in the
research gap the proposed research work has been articulated. It
is believed that the findins emanating from the proposed study
will have both theoretical and practical relevance. Theoretically it
may add to the existing literature pertaining to social gerontology
and family studies. Practically it will be of immense use to
planners social worker govt and such other institutions and
people who have conmverned for the wellbeing of third angers
(grandparents). The proposed topic for national seminar may be
of great use for the academician and scholars interested in the
area for talking of further research and delivetions.