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<p>This article examines how disability and ageing intersect within family structures and cultural expectations, foregrounding the role of ableism and ageism in shaping individual and collective experience. By examining Rohinton Mistry’s <i>Family Matters</i> through the frameworks of social constructionism and ageism, the research underscores how age and disability are socially constructed and often associated with dependency and burden. Through the character of Nariman Vakeel, who experiences the dual challenges of old age and physical disability, this article critically examines how disability and ageing shape his health and wellbeing, access to care, and reliance on family and community support. The analysis highlights the ethics of caregiving and family responsibility, encouraging more inclusive and empathetic approaches to ageing and disability across cultural and familial contexts. Mistry’s narrative mirrors real-world dynamics of care, responsibility, and economic burden within families. By situating <i>Family Matters</i> within broader discourses on ageing with disability, this article contributes to the growing field of interdisciplinary ageing studies and underscores the value of literature as a cultural text that reflects and critiques social realities. The study emphasises the importance of intergenerational understanding, encouraging families to recognise the emotional and social value of the elderly beyond their physical limitations. Finally, by demonstrating how literature reflects lived realities, the study highlights the role of cultural narratives in shaping more empathetic attitudes towards ageing and disability.</p>

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Ageing with Disability and Family Dynamics: A Social Constructionist Reading of Rohinton Mistry’s Family Matter

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月27日

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  • Mary Job T,
  • Christine Ann Thomas

摘要

This article examines how disability and ageing intersect within family structures and cultural expectations, foregrounding the role of ableism and ageism in shaping individual and collective experience. By examining Rohinton Mistry’s Family Matters through the frameworks of social constructionism and ageism, the research underscores how age and disability are socially constructed and often associated with dependency and burden. Through the character of Nariman Vakeel, who experiences the dual challenges of old age and physical disability, this article critically examines how disability and ageing shape his health and wellbeing, access to care, and reliance on family and community support. The analysis highlights the ethics of caregiving and family responsibility, encouraging more inclusive and empathetic approaches to ageing and disability across cultural and familial contexts. Mistry’s narrative mirrors real-world dynamics of care, responsibility, and economic burden within families. By situating Family Matters within broader discourses on ageing with disability, this article contributes to the growing field of interdisciplinary ageing studies and underscores the value of literature as a cultural text that reflects and critiques social realities. The study emphasises the importance of intergenerational understanding, encouraging families to recognise the emotional and social value of the elderly beyond their physical limitations. Finally, by demonstrating how literature reflects lived realities, the study highlights the role of cultural narratives in shaping more empathetic attitudes towards ageing and disability.