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<p>“Who will take care of you when you are old?” Childfree people in India often hear this response when they share their decision to forgo parenthood. Stemming from deeply rooted cultural values, the rhetorical question bears a twofold implication of doubt and stigmatisation. Growing old while childfree raises questions of soundness and feasibility since older adults in India receive limited state support and are traditionally cared for by their adult children. However, the ageing landscape of India has evolved beyond tradition, particularly in urban India. Societal views on family caregiving have changed due to economic development, attitudinal shifts, and demographic trends like the rising nuclearisation of households. Concurrently, neoliberal thought has transformed the care economy by promoting self-sufficiency in old age and driving demand for privatised care solutions over family caregiving. The Sustainable Development Goals by the United Nations state that healthy ageing is crucial to sustainability. However, as birth rates decline, India faces an imminent ageing crisis if the burgeoning needs of the older population are left unattended. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of the modern imagination of ageing is required, set against the backdrop of sociodemographic change like increasing numbers of childfree individuals in India. Through a dual-method qualitative research framework, this article explores how childfree adults in urban India envision old age without traditional family caregiving. They successfully reimagine ageing and counter stigmatic cultural notions that prescribe childbearing for later-life care. The neoliberalisation of care in India alleviates concerns about quality of life in old age since childfree people can access private care if necessary. Thus, childfree adults hinge their approaches to old age planning on personal finance rather than family caregiving. Their modern conceptions of ageing and later-life care highlight care inadequacies yet to be addressed and indicate the future trajectory of the ageing landscape of India.</p>

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Reimagining Ageing and Later-Life Care: The Perspectives of Childfree Adults in Urban India

  • 期刊论文

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年3月3日

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  • Rhea Jaikumar Menon

摘要

“Who will take care of you when you are old?” Childfree people in India often hear this response when they share their decision to forgo parenthood. Stemming from deeply rooted cultural values, the rhetorical question bears a twofold implication of doubt and stigmatisation. Growing old while childfree raises questions of soundness and feasibility since older adults in India receive limited state support and are traditionally cared for by their adult children. However, the ageing landscape of India has evolved beyond tradition, particularly in urban India. Societal views on family caregiving have changed due to economic development, attitudinal shifts, and demographic trends like the rising nuclearisation of households. Concurrently, neoliberal thought has transformed the care economy by promoting self-sufficiency in old age and driving demand for privatised care solutions over family caregiving. The Sustainable Development Goals by the United Nations state that healthy ageing is crucial to sustainability. However, as birth rates decline, India faces an imminent ageing crisis if the burgeoning needs of the older population are left unattended. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of the modern imagination of ageing is required, set against the backdrop of sociodemographic change like increasing numbers of childfree individuals in India. Through a dual-method qualitative research framework, this article explores how childfree adults in urban India envision old age without traditional family caregiving. They successfully reimagine ageing and counter stigmatic cultural notions that prescribe childbearing for later-life care. The neoliberalisation of care in India alleviates concerns about quality of life in old age since childfree people can access private care if necessary. Thus, childfree adults hinge their approaches to old age planning on personal finance rather than family caregiving. Their modern conceptions of ageing and later-life care highlight care inadequacies yet to be addressed and indicate the future trajectory of the ageing landscape of India.